Deceptions and Disguises
by Jananda Sarne
Summary: AU after GoF, spoilers for all. Azkaban, Severitus Challenge, power, politics & magical theory. Horcruxes, hidden prisoners, secret agents... Was Harry guilty? Is he dead? Did Albus frame him? Slash, MPREG, Torture but nothing graphic. Complete
1. Prologue

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Author's Note - 

Disclaimer - well it's on a fanfiction website under Harry Potter - hardly likely I'd own the HP characters is it! But all the non-canon stuff is mine. I have read lots of other people's work so they have influenced me but nothing is directly copied. It is also pretty obvious I think that the events and people portrayed are ficticious. I have tried to be as accurate as I can in terms of geography, dates, moon phases and so forth. If there are any glaring errors please let me know so that I can correct them.

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**Warning!**

**This piece of writing contains mentions of torture, rape, murder, violence and other nastiness (what else could you expect with a dark lord on the loose). Homosexual pairings and male pregnancy are central to the story. I do not go into graphic details about any of the above but they are implied and alluded to.**

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That said, the tone of the story is upbeat and pranks of the terrible twins and marauder variety feature in several places with the latest publicity campaign by Weasley's Wizard Wheezes run under the noses of the Hogwarts professors.

Thanks for reading,

Jananda

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Prologue 

The night that he arrived back at the Dursleys home after his fourth year at Hogwarts, Harry had an unusual visitor. Mad-eye Moody would not approve of his friendly attitude to his unknown guest but the visitor exuded an impression of safety and calm. The moment the figure finished speaking Harry knew what his answer would be. Before his mind could dwell on the possible outcomes of the 'great suffering' mentioned he declared that he would submit to whatever he must in order to save the lives of his godfather Sirius Black and his mentor Albus Dumbledore, and gain the knowledge he needed to defeat Voldemort. When he woke up the next day he had no recollection of his nocturnal conversation.

A little over a year and a half later Dumbledore sat lost in thought as his boat sped across the seemingly endless sea. Azkaban itself would not be visible until the boat was within its wards. Harry Potter was dead and Voldemort was, well, if not exactly dead, at least he did not have a body anymore. Despite everything it appeared to be mainly thanks to the boy. When Potter had died, Voldemort had gone into a coma. Voldemort's servant Wormtail (a.k.a Peter Pettigrew) had summoned those Death Eaters with healing knowledge to help their master. He had summoned Severus Snape, a potions expert, and as it happened, the Order of the Phoenix's spy. Severus had taken the opportunity to kill the Dark Lord's body. The Order had not yet managed to destroy all Voldemort's horcruxes so it was possible for him to come back, but now they did have breathing space.

The members of the Wizarding World were all out celebrating but Dumbledore did not feel like joining them. Just as he had been the last time Voldemort had fallen he was preoccupied with Harry Potter. The boy had betrayed them all; he had become a Death Eater. The summer after his fourth year he had disappeared leaving his relatives house a smoking ruin and Severus had witnessed him taking the Dark Mark. The Dursleys were dead and the Diggorys were killed by Potter. A few days later Dumbledore had caught up with the boy and Potter had attacked him. Potter had been under a secrecy oath and unable to speak in his own defence at his trial. Nobody would be foolish enough to give one of those to someone he did not trust, and none of the Order had put him on oath. That aside the evidence was conclusive. Potter had kept a journal to help him come to terms with the events of the Third Task and Cedric Diggory's death. The journal had proved that Potter had come to believe his best chance for survival was to support Voldemort. He had had the Dark Mark on his forearm. At the time, Dumbledore had been convinced. The boy's friends, particularly his godfather Sirius Black, had been distraught and refused to believe it so he had taken steps to make the boy appear insane or possessed by Voldemort. With the evidence of Potter's previous visions and the articles Rita Skeeter had written during the Tri Wizard Tournament it had not been difficult to convince the public. Fudge had been trying to do so anyway.

Potter had been sent to Azkaban for life. Dumbledore had hoped that the evidence of Potter's Dark Mark would at least convince the Ministry that Voldemort had returned, but Fudge had claimed that Potter had had it since the night Voldemort killed his parents and had thus always been dark. That had been a year and a half ago, and now the boy's death was making Dumbledore uneasy. He had wondered about the boy's guilt upon finding that Severus's cover was a spy had been intact after Potter's betrayal. He had assumed that either Harry had been too much in shock to take in the revelation that Severus was a spy the night after the Third Task, or he had never really believed it. Dumbledore had not had any doubts on the subject until a few hours ago when he had passed the sixth year Gryffindors on his way to the staff table for lunch. Mr Weasley had been expressing his astonishment that Professor Snape had been the one to 'kill' Voldemort and Miss Granger had scolded him saying that even after everything Professor Snape had done to Harry, Harry had still believed him faithful to Dumbledore.

What if Potter had not denounced Severus because he had never truly joined Voldemort? But the boy had the Dark Mark and if one was not loyal the marking would kill, that was why spies were so difficult to come by. Try as he might Dumbledore could no longer make the evidence add up. He was still deep in thought when the boat docked and he followed the warder who met him into the prison and up to Potter's high security cell. Potter had been discovered dead the previous morning, one of the very few Azkaban inmates who had successfully committed suicide. Nobody had realised that the boy had died until his will materialized in front of Professor McGonagall midway through the school celebrations marking Voldemort's passing. She had alerted Dumbledore who had checked with the warders at Azkaban who had begrudgingly checked on Potter only to discover his lifeless body. Dumbledore gazed sadly at the corpse of his former pupil. Whether Potter had betrayed them or not, it was Dumbledore himself who bore most of the responsibility. He had arranged the boy's upbringing. His eyes slide to the boy's arms, one of the sleeves had slipped back to reveal the Dark Mark, the badge of the boy's treason.

"You enabled us to take Voldemort's body from him, I am grateful. I hope in death you find the happiness you were denied in life, and I hope your parents forgive me for failing you," Dumbledore softly told the corpse. He motioned the warder over and accompanied him as he levitated Potter out of the fortress and interred him six feet under the barren earth. It was over. The boy's guilt or innocence would likely remain a mystery but either way Dumbledore had failed and all he could do was to renew his resolve not to fail again.


	2. Library Documents

1.Library Documents

Remus Lupin had given up on finding a job within the Wizarding World and had taken up part time employment in a muggle public library. He had been saddened when the son of one of his best friends, Harry Potter, had been sent insane through the connection he had to Voldemort. When news of his death came a few weeks previously he had been almost relieved. He knew something about loosing one's mind and not being able to control ones actions because Remus was a werewolf. Roughly once a month he would be forced to transform into an animal. The recent development of wolfsbane potion allowed him to keep his mind whilst in the animal's body, but he could remember the years of transformations without it when he truly became insane with wolfish bloodlust for a few hours every lunar month. Harry had been a powerful wizard, he had mastered the patronus charm at thirteen, and so his ability to cause damage while out of his mind had been immense. Remus had secretly hoped that the healers would never bring him back to his senses because then he would have to deal with what he had done. Now that could no longer happen he could grieve properly for the loss of the young man and trust that he was better off in the next adventure.

Remus had been taken completely by surprise to find that he was a beneficiary in Harry's will. Minerva McGonagall, the deputy-headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, had been its executor. There had been three main legacies, to the Weasley family, Hermione Granger and Remus himself, as well as some allocation of items of sentimental value. When Minerva had explained things to Remus she had added that Harry hoped 'he'd be sure he spent some of it on dog biscuits.' To an outsider it would have been even more evidence that Harry's mental state had never been too good, but if you knew that Harry's godfather and Remus's best friend, Sirius Black, was an escaped convict (innocent) and on the run using his dog animagus form as cover, then the inference was obvious. Harry could hardly name the man in his will. Remus had hoped to get back some of the photographs of Harry's parents that he had sent Hagrid when he had been compiling an album for Harry, but when he asked Minerva she explained that it had been allocated to someone else. 

"A close friend," she said vaguely. "I'm particularly instructed not to divulge his name, but it is not someone I know. Had there been any items of value going to him I would question the validity of the will, but since it was just personal items and a small amount of galleons I have not done so."

Remus questioned her further and found out that the jumpers that Molly Weasley had knitted for Harry as Christmas presents had gone to the same mysterious wizard, as had Harry's collection of chocolate frog cards, his owl Hedwig, and his firebolt broomstick. His invisibility cloak had gone to Ronald Weasley, his best friend. Given how rare invisibility cloaks were had the stranger been able to fix the will it was unlikely he would have passed up on the opportunity to get one.

Shortly after Harry's death, Severus Snape had killed Voldemort for the time being and the activities of the Order of the Phoenix were scaled back. No longer being required to go on missions by the Order, Remus had once again tried to enter the general workforce. The money from Harry enabled him to manage on a part time job, particularly when taken together with being able to live rent free in Sirius's house because 'having a werewolf in residence would drive my dear old mum nuts' as Sirius had put it, but really due to Sirius having to hide out there and not wanting to be alone in the place. So Remus had found this job in a library. It was pretty mindless since nobody really asked him about the books they just wanted to check them in and out and use the public computers to look things up on the internet.

Today Remus watched as a red headed man entered the muggle library. He was a head shorter than Remus himself but of about the same age and build; 'would make an ideal seeker,' he thought. The man spent a few minutes browsing the shelves and then approached Remus at the help desk.

"I'm looking for a novel," he stated. "I'm keen on the supernatural and a friend of mine recommended a book about vampires - I think it was called 'Draculate' or something, but I can't remember the author's name."

"I think you want 'Dracula'" replied Remus. "It's by Bram Stoker. I'll just have a look to see if we have it,"

"Thanks"

Remus looked the book up on the database and was able to direct the man to the relevant shelf. The next day the man returned with the book. Remus was working on the returns desk and took it from him.

"Did you like it?" he asked.

"It was entertaining, I guess," replied the red head. "If a bit odd, but not as bad as Lockhart's 'Voyages with Vampires,'"

"You've read Lockhart?"

"After a moment of insanity I ended up with his complete works."

"I didn't make it past the third page of 'Wanderings with Werewolves.' What sort of information on vampires were you after?"

"Well…" The man's reply was interrupted by a loud clearing of the throat from the person behind him. A queue had formed.

"Look," said Remus. "I'm due a cigarette break in half an hour. If you're still around then you could join me and I could point you towards the relevant books."

"Thanks, I'll let you get on." As Remus dealt with the other library patrons his mind was on the red head. The man's accent suggested he was English and judging by his age he should have been a contemporary of Remus at Hogwarts, but Remus did not recognize him. He could be a squib, yet the man had known that Remus was a wizard, so he must have recognized him, unless he could see magical auras. Voldemort might be gone but Moody would still recommend 'Constant Vigilance.' As he had only two days before when the Order had met to discuss the man who had been spotted looking up and down the street and enquiring about how to find number twelve, that had been a red head. Remus had to be careful around a strange wizard, and yet he could not picture a Death Eater using a muggle library. When it was time for his break he made eye contact with the wizard and gestured to the door. Once outside they went to stand around the side of the building.

"I don't actually smoke," explained Remus. "But everyone else gets cigarette breaks so I thought I should too. Anyway, my name's Remus Lupin."

"I'm David."

"David?"

"Yeah, just David. I had another name at some point but these days it's just David."

"I don't recognize you from Hogwarts."

"I wasn't at Hogwarts with you."

"So how…?"

"Did I know you were a wizard? You knew who Lockhart was, with the name 'Remus' on your badge I thought you might. I'm curious; why are you working in the muggle world?" He frowned, "You're not an auror are you? I haven't broken your cover?"

Remus laughed bitterly, "No, don't worry, I'm not an auror. I'm just a bit fed up with the Wizarding World at the moment so I thought I would spend some time in the muggle one. What about you? I don't think many wizards spend time in muggle libraries."

"I was raised by muggles; I'm sort of rediscovering my heritage. I do odd jobs here and there until I build up enough money for a few months and then I throw myself into my research. Sometimes I hit a brick wall and escape for a bit with a muggle novel."

"So you're not actually looking for information on vampires?"

"No, I'm afraid I got you to waste your break under false pretences. I've already read most of what's in the British Library on vampires. I've met a few too. Do you read 'Beastly Advances?"

"I have a lifetime subscription. Wait a minute, the article about vampire hierarchies in the last issue; that was by a 'David.'"

"Yeah, that was mine."

"I forgive the false pretences. It is a pleasure to meet you, but as much as I am enjoying our conversation, I need to get back to work. Perhaps we could continue some time?"

"It's been nice meeting you. I'll give you my mobile number; if you can handle a library computer I'm sure you can use a phone. I'm afraid owls other than my own can't reach me because I travel a lot. Give me a call some time." David pulled a business card out of his pocket and handed it over. 

He apparated away as Remus looked at the card. There was a photograph of a dragon on one side. The dragon was breathing fire and then David walked into shot and the dragon calmed down and David approached him and scratched him behind his ear. It was all highly improbable. On the other side were simply the words 'David - Problem Solver' with a telephone number below. Despite what Moody's opinion would be Remus knew that he would be calling David from a telephone box on his way home to Grimmauld Place. He definitely wanted to get to know him better. 


	3. Tonks Puts Her Foot In It

Tonks Puts her Foot In It 

Tonks watched Remus carefully over supper. It had been Fred's turn to cook but despite that the meal was edible. It was nothing special so it could not have been the food which caused Remus's changed attitude. The shift was very slight but Tonks was not an auror for nothing. She was very observant. There were five of them living at No. 12 Grimmauld Place, ancestral home of the Black family and former Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. The house was owned by Sirius Black who was believed by the public to be a mass murderer but had actually been framed by his and Remus's one time friend Peter Pettigrew. Sirius had spent twelve years in the wizard prison Azkaban before managing to escape. He was on the run for a year before he almost caught Pettigrew and in doing so was able to convince Remus and Albus Dumbledore that he was innocent. After Voldemort's return he had offered his house to Dumbledore for a headquarters.

After Voldemort again lost his body the Order had disbanded. Sirius was unable to leave the house safely and so his cousin Nymphadora Tonks and his friend Remus Lupin had elected to move in permanently to keep him company. The Weasley twins, Fred and George, who were just setting up in the joke shop business had jumped at the chance to live in London with the on hand advice of two of their heroes. When Sirius and Remus had been at school they had been part of a group known as the Marauders who played a lot of practical jokes. The house was still hidden with Dumbledore as secret keeper partly for Sirius's safety and partly so that the Order could move back in the moment Voldemort returned yet again.

The five had initially been six, the addition being the mad Black family house elf, Kreacher. The elf had however kicked the bucket a month after Voldemort much to everyone's guilty relief. Life in the house was never quiet, but that was a good thing for its owner since he was unable to go outside for his excitement. The legacy of his time in Azkaban and his godson Harry's insanity and later death had made Sirius very depressed. He had spent much of the previous year alone in the house while the Order members where out on missions, but now that he was surrounded by lively people he was much better. Harry's fate had hit Remus hard too.

Tonks was extremely surprised to hear Remus laughing at the twins. She had not heard him laugh naturally since before Harry's trial. She shared a perplexed look across the supper table with Sirius. Yes, something had definitely happened to Remus, something good. After supper she and Sirius discussed Remus. Tonks was a bit put out when Sirius stated that the changes had begun three weeks previously. She was the auror not him, but she did grudgingly admit that he knew Remus better than she did.

"I thought at first he had come across a particularly good book, but when I asked him what he was reading he said he'd not got hold of anything new for a while," said Sirius.

"This is a wild guess, but do you think he's met someone?"

"As in romantic? This is Remus we're talking about. He resisted all our attempts to get him involved with someone at school. Once James had started seeing Lily he had this notion that we all needed someone. In the end Remus told him to f off. Only time I've heard him swear other than on the full moon. And he definitely hasn't been seeing anyone since the Order regrouped."

"Okay, so what do you think it is?"

"No idea. He won't tell me, but I really want to find out."

Over the next few weeks Sirius and Tonks observed Remus. He had a set routine, on Monday and Tuesday he worked in the garden trying to rescue it from years of neglect. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday saw him leave the house for his job in the muggle library (except the week of the full moon when being a werewolf he was out of action on the Tuesday and Wednesday and so worked the other three days). None of that was different to before, but his weekend habits had changed. Fred and George were complaining that Remus no longer dropped in on their shop on Saturdays to see their new products and help in their development. He also disappeared every Sunday afternoon and did not return until eleven at night.

He continued to be evasive about what he was doing; merely stating that he was spending time learning more about muggle culture. Learning about muggles did not explain his change in mood. He was the happiest the two cousins had seen him for years. On the fourth Sunday Tonks planted a tracking device in one of Remus's shoes and got ready to follow him. She morphed her appearance to that of a respectable woman in her mid thirties and dressed in appropriate muggle clothing.

Remus left the house and apparated away. Tonks checked the tracker and followed him to South London. She appeared in time to see Remus disappear round the end of the street. She followed him towards a cinema and saw him greet a red headed man.

Back in Grimmauld Place Sirius waited impatiently for Tonks to return. When she did at half past nine he was surprised that Remus was with her. They had been rumbled. Remus looked upset and disappeared upstairs without saying a word. Sirius propelled Tonks into the sitting room for an explanation. She went to the cabinet and poured herself a shot of firewhiskey and downed it before sitting down opposite him. This did not bode well.

"I screwed up," she said mournfully. "Majorly screwed up."

"What happened?"

"I followed him to a cinema and saw him meet a man and go to get tickets. Unfortunately Remus spotted me and recognized the hairdo as one I had been practicing. So he decides to get revenge on me for following him. He introduces me to the man, David, as a police officer. They get me to go to the film with them and then down to a pub where I have to make muggle conversation." She paused.

"So he wasn't a muggle?"

"No. He asked me if I'd worked on any well known cases, and the only muggle case I can think of was your escape because Fudge told them about that. So I said I worked on that. And he asks what I would do if I caught you, because if I'd been sent to Azkaban without a trial wouldn't I to break out too. He said he hadn't known anything about your case until you escaped but thought it looked a bit fishy."

"You telling me he was trying to find out about me? And now the Ministry knows you and Remus are hiding me?"

"No, no, nothing like that. Neither of us said anything about having seen you, though I will be telling Kingsley that someone is asking questions since it may be that the Ministry aren't trusting him with the case anymore. But I think David was genuine. Anyway we talk a bit more and I mention that I live with Remus and Fred and George – oh it turns out he knows Charlie Weasley, worked with him in Romania. See here, he gave me his card." She passed Sirius the card with the picture of David and the dragon.

"Well then, why is Remus so upset?"

"Somehow David got the impression that I'm Remus's girlfriend and he had been neglecting me to spend time with him, and he told Remus that he hadn't meant to cause any problems and he would like to get to know me too, but that he would leave us to sort things out first. And then he left and put a spell on Remus so that he couldn't get up from the table to stop him. When I returned from the bar I found Remus. It took me a few moments to work it out, but I think basically Remus is very attracted to David and because of what David said has come to the conclusion that David is not interested and may not even want to be his friend anymore. And you know what Remus is like about not pushing himself forward."

"So we contact David and tell him that you're not going out with Remus and then ask him if he wants to."

"Sirius. You have no subtlety whatsoever. If David is not interested in Remus he might feel either pressured into pretending he is, or uncomfortable with being Remus's friend knowing Remus wants more. We have to be very careful, Remus is the first wizard David has socialized with for a long time; he's been a bit of a recluse."

"So you're saying that we need to push them together gradually?"

"Yes, I was actually thinking Molly might help. The Weasleys are having that party next weekend to mark the start of the summer holidays and since David knows Charlie and Remus we could probably persuade her to invite him."

"I'm not sure Molly will go for the idea of inviting a strange wizard over."

"What do you suggest? Remus is obviously going to try to keep in contact with him, so it would be a good idea to check him out and the party will be swarming with Ministry and Order people so who better to do so? There will be plenty of people to help if he causes any problems. And since he's a red head who's had contact with Remus, Mad-eye will want to get a look at him somehow. This way David won't know we're checking into him."

"Okay then, let the plotting begin," said Sirius rubbing his hands in glee.


	4. Long Distance Apparition

3.Long Distance Apparition

The next morning Remus did not emerge until after Tonks and the twins had left for work. Sirius informed him that he and Tonks had thought it would be nice for David to meet more people and Molly and Arthur were happy for him to come to their party if Remus wanted.

"So in other words all four of you are planning on playing matchmaker?" concluded Remus.

"You're interested in him right? I mean Tonks seemed pretty certain you were."

"It's a bit complicated."

"Yes or no?"

"No." Sirius stared at him. "Maybe," Remus conceded.

"Well then since this is the first time I've ever managed to get even that much out of you and I've known you since you were eleven, it's high time to make you do something about it."

"Padfoot, I really need to get to know him first. He wasn't at Hogwarts and he's been a recluse for years so I have to take it really slowly so as not to scare him away."

"Don't worry Moony, Tonks has promised to teach me to be subtle. Not that it matters since the only times I'll see him I'll be a dog. So I'll only subtly wag my tail. So tell me, what it is about David that none of your other acquaintances has ever had?"

"I think that's stretching it a bit. I have been out with people before you know!"

"Mr Padfoot thinks Mr Moony has been keeping secrets and since Mr Padfoot spent twelve years in Azkaban for keeping a secret from Mr Moony, Mr Padfoot thinks Mr Moony should not keep secrets from Mr Padfoot."

"After you went to Azkaban I was investigated by the Ministry and once I was released I turned my back on the Wizarding World for a while. I met a lot of muggles, male and female, and, well, you know... I'm not proud of it; I wasn't particularly attracted to any of them I was just desperate to forget what had happened."

"Snape told me that, but I didn't believe him. I said he was talking about the wrong marauder."

Remus winced. "I got drunk at the staff Christmas party the year I taught. Someone had had the bright idea of getting Sibyll Trelawney to organize the punch and she made it alcoholic. Sherry I think. We all got drunk which was a very bad idea with a 'vicious mass murderer' on the loose. The next day Severus started making comments about it, so I must have said something. I don't really have much memory of that evening."

"But David is different?" Sirius prompted.

"Yes, David is different. I feel a need to be near him and to take care of him. I've only ever felt like that around one other person, but I wasn't attracted to that person, which is why it is complicated."

"Who was that?"

"That is a secret I am not sharing."

"It's someone I know isn't it?"

"I'm not saying."

"Well, well, well, I wonder who it could be."

"Padfoot," growled Remus warningly.

"Well, I'm looking forward to meeting your David next Sunday. As your faithful dog I'm sure I can nudge him your way. What colour fur do you think he would appreciate more, I have yet to make the potion?"

"Just don't make red, we'll loose you to the Weasleys."

Later that day David received a telephone call from Molly Weasley. "Hello, can you hear me?" she began extremely loudly.

"Yes, I can hear you perfectly," he replied at a normal level. "This is David; may I ask who is calling?"

"This is Molly Weasley dear."

"Are you related to Charlie who works in Romania?"

"Yes dear, he's my second son."

"You must be very proud, he does amazing work."

"Yes we are; Charlie has told us about you in his letters. He thinks very highly of you."

"That's very kind of him. How can I help you Mrs Weasley?"

"Oh Molly, dear, please. Anyway I was chatting to Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks earlier and I found they knew you too and they told me how to contact you. I wanted to invite you over on Sunday to meet the family. We're having quite a few people over, my youngest two are still in school and we're celebrating the start of their summer holidays. I'm afraid Charlie won't be there because he is in Romania at the moment but Remus and Tonks will look after you and I'm sure everyone would like to meet you. My husband Arthur has expressed a particular wish to meet you having found that you are interested in muggles."

"Arthur Weasley? As in the head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office?"

"Yes."

"I look forward to talking to him; I've been toying with the notion of some spells to put on photos to make muggles think they are static like theirs, while wizards see them normally and I'd value his opinion on the subject if he has the time. Thank you very much for the invitation. Could you let me have the particulars?"

Molly gave David the relevant information and rang off. David turned to the bird perched on the back of the chair opposite him. "This is all your fault you know. You persuaded me to go and befriend Remus and now I've had Mrs Weasley on the phone. You knew once I'd heard her voice I'd not be able to avoid them all."

The bird said nothing. It just stared at him in silent communication. "Actually that sounds like a good idea," said David. "I'll go and see Charlie." He changed his sandals in favour of dragonhide boots and apparated to a dragon reserve in Romania.

"Good evening Richard, Jonathan," he greeted the men in the reserve office. "I wanted a word with young Charlie. Is he around?"

"Ah David, a pleasure to see you again," said Richard. "Charlie is over in the westfold area. There's a young Hungarian horntail who had a bad run in with a weather balloon. William and Charlie have been trying to patch her up all day but she's being a bit uncooperative. I'm sure they'd appreciate your help."

"Thanks, I'll go find them."

"You know if you want a job here you only have to ask?"

"Thanks Richard, but to work with dragons full time you need a passion for them and I don't have that. But if you ever need my help just call."

"I guess that'll have to be enough."

David apparated across the reservation to the westfold area and then wandered around looking for Charlie and William. It did not take him long to find him, the young dragon he was tending was creating a lot of noise. As David approached the animal quieted down and allowed Charlie close enough to immobilize her and tend her wounds. David made his presence known and helped.

"I suppose I have you to thank for her change in attitude," said Charlie. "Did Richard send for you then? He said he would tomorrow if he had to."

"Actually no, but Richard did suggest that I might be of some assistance when I asked where you were."

"So what brings you here?" asked William.

"Indirectly, Charlie's mother."

"I didn't know you knew her. She's not ill is she?"

"No, as far as I know all your family is fine. I got a call from your mother today asking me to a 'get together' on Sunday. She said the whole family would be there, except you because you were here. So I wanted to know if you wanted me to have a word with Richard so that you could have the time off to attend."

"I can't. There's no way I could get a portkey, and flying all that way would take too long."

"Can't you apparate?"

"Are you mad? Apparate to England and back on the same day?"

"Oh, but if transport weren't a problem would you like to go?"

"Sure."

"Okay, I'll sort out transport. You just get the time off and meet me at the office at 1pm on Sunday. With the time difference we should then arrive for lunch. Molly's doing lunch and tea so I doubt you'll be back until late evening."

"Thank you David. It'll be great to see everyone."

"My pleasure. I'm doing it for purely selfish reasons. I don't want to face the Weasley clan with only Remus and Tonks for protection. This way you get to save me from the twin hooligans too."

"How do you know Remus and Tonks?"

"Met Remus in a library and got talking. He introduced me to Tonks. They make a sweet couple."

"They're together? That's really odd. I definitely need to be there on Sunday."

"Well they seemed together. Anyway I'll see you Sunday. Goodbye Charlie, William."

Charlie waited outside the reserve office as 1pm approached on Sunday. David suddenly appeared without even a crack of apparition.

"What do you think?" David asked gesturing towards the bottle of wine in his hands.

"I won't even pretend to know about the wine, but I'm sure it will be fine. You've got red hair so Mum will welcome you into the family regardless."

"Thanks. Before this week I'd never even tasted wine; I enjoyed my research! Shall we go?" 

David placed his arm around Charlie's shoulders and a moment later they were standing among the trees at the side of the road leading to the Burrow. It was unlike any form of transport Charlie had ever experienced. They just winked out of existence in one place and appeared immediately in the other. In apparating there was normally a journey through some dark in between world. He looked at David who had gone a bit pale.

"What was that?"

"That's how I travel around."

"Oh." Charlie took his own gifts out of his pocket and resized them. "The Burrow is this way, follow me." 


	5. Meddling Gaudy Chicken

4. Meddling Gaudy Chicken

"Charlie!" a shout rand out as they approached the house. Moments later a red headed girl of about sixteen flung herself into his arms.

"Hey there little sis, miss me?"

"Of course not! Mum didn't say you were coming though."

"That's because it was a surprise. Ginny, I'd like to introduce you to David. David this is my little sister Ginny."

"Hey, less of the little!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ginny," said David and without thinking he left the bottle hanging in mid air to shake her hand.

"Wow, you can do wandless magic!" exclaimed Ginny.

"I can do a bit."

"Charlie?" called a new voice.

"Ah Mum, I hope you don't mind. I thought I'd surprise you."

"Well you certainly chose the right day to do it. It's lovely to see you dear."

"Mum, may I introduce David? David this is my mother Molly. Mum it was David who arranged the transport so that I could be here."

"It was nothing Molly. I spend quite a bit of time at the reserve and since I was coming anyway it was easy to bring Charlie along with me. Thank you very much for inviting me."

"You're welcome dear. Let's go up to the garden. You must meet my husband." David went with Molly and was introduced to Arthur who took custody of the wine. Charlie moved off to be engulfed by his siblings. Molly disappeared as David and Arthur began playing with David's mobile telephone. She went to greet the guests who were arriving by floo. Remus, Tonks and the twins arrived half an hour later accompanied by a large black and white dog. Remus and Tonks rescued David from Arthur and proceeded to tell him that they were not a couple.

"We're just friends," explained Tonks. "Friends who share a house because the house is large and it would be lonely to live there alone."

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, I drew the wrong conclusion; I don't have much experience of these things. Charlie told me he thought it was unlikely but you had appeared so together."

"You've spoken with Charlie?"

"Last Monday. He's over there." Tonks moved off and Remus leaned in close to David.

"Tonks is very fond of Charlie," he said in a low voice.

"Oh, I really put my foot in it then, telling him about you two," moaned David wincing.

"Don't worry. I expect she can convince him."

David cast around for a change of subject and his gaze fell on the dog who had arrived with Remus, who was now being enthusiastically greeted by the younger Weasleys. "Is that your dog?" he asked.

"Yes, well sort of came with the house as it were. We call him Snuffles." David raised an eyebrow. "Don't look at me like that," Remus protested. "I didn't choose the name. He's friendly if a bit protective."

"I'm fond of animals. You'll have to introduce me."

Once all the guests had arrived they sat down to eat lunch in the garden. Remus placed himself next to David and told him who all the people were and a bit about each of them. When it came to the younger guests this sparked a discussion of his time teaching at Hogwarts. There were quite a lot of adults, some of who worked at the Ministry with Arthur or his third son Percy, and others who were 'friends of the family.' The youngsters included Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom. Hermione's parents were the only muggles present and were sitting with Arthur patiently explaining muggle technologies. 

"Why aren't you still teaching if you enjoyed it so much?" asked David.

"I resigned at the end of the year after a conflict with another member of staff. There's a jinx on the DADA position. Teachers only last a year, compared to what happened to some of them I got of lightly. I'd like to go back. Albus keeps asking me to, but I really want a part time job since I have other projects I want to work on. That's why I have the library job."

Remus obviously did not want to pursue the topic and the conversation moved on to other things. After lunch the youngsters raided the Weasley broom shed and headed off to the clearing in the orchard to play quidditch dragging Charlie, Tonks and the twins with them. The adults stayed in the garden either sitting on conjured chairs or standing in groups. David was grateful that Remus stayed with him because he did not feel back in touch enough with the Wizarding World to know what to say to strangers. The suggestions from his dad and grandfather were many years out of date. David ended up sitting with Remus in a corner or the garden with Snuffles lying on the ground in front of them. David admitted to knowing next to nothing about the current state of affairs in Britain and Remus filled him in with particular reference to the work done by the Ministry workers who were in attendance. Their previous meetings had taken place in muggle establishments and so their conversations had been more muggle.

Every now and then David noticed that Mad-eye Moody's 'mad-eye' was watching him. He wondered what he had done to gain the interest of the paranoid ex-auror but reflected that it was probably just that he was an unknown quantity. He mentioned the occurrence to Remus.

"Oh that's Alastor Moody," Remus told him. "He's very security conscious and he's currently tracking an unknown red head so you've come under suspicion."

"What's this red head done?" David asked with mild interest.

"Who knows with Moody," said Remus dismissively.

Miles away in Scotland, Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was staring at the resumes on his desk in growing frustration. None of the candidates the Ministry had sent him for the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor were any use at all. Two years previously the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge had past a decree to enable the Ministry to supply a teacher should the headmaster be unable to find a suitable candidate. The first result of this had been the obnoxious Dolores Umbridge. She had refused to teach any practical skills at all and had just had the students read from a text book. She had also tried to take over the school and it was amazing that he had remained as headmaster. They had finally got rid of her after she was caught attempting to manacle a student in preparation for a physical beating from Filch the caretaker. Since the beating had not taken place, fortunately for the student involved, she had been able to return to her former job as the special assistant to the Minister for Magic. It had still been a tough fight to remove her from Hogwarts but he had managed it forcing the Ministry to relent in the process to the point of allowing him to interview their candidates, conceding that he would be more likely to know if they would be suitable teachers. Filch had not laid a finger on the student, or even agreed to administer the beating and so kept his job with the teachers keeping a more wary eye on him than they had before.

Last year's teacher had been a little better. The Ministry had persuaded an auror to take early retirement and do the job. Unfortunately it had turned out that there was a reason the auror needed to retire; he was going a bit senile and got muddled in his spells. The students had not learnt much under him either, but at least he had not tried to harm any other them. He was the first one for years who had not, although it had not been Remus Lupin's fault that he had put his students in danger; that had been sheer bad luck. This year after he had been yet again unsuccessful in persuading Remus to return the Ministry had provided him with two possible candidates whom he and Minerva had interviewed two days previously. One was so immensely overweight there was no way he would be able to duel at all, while the other he knew to be a Death Eater. So it was a choice between useless or dangerous. His mind turned once more to Severus Snape. If he could just find another potions master he could switch Severus across, but potions masters were also hard to come by. He had tried to get Horace Slughorn to return the previous year in vain. He wondered idly if this was why he was so determined to finally destroy Voldemort; the vain hope that once he was gone his jinx on the position would unravel.

The headmaster was startled out of his reverie by the arrival in a flash of light of his phoenix, which he had not seen for nearly two years. The bird settled on his perch, which the headmaster had kept in the hope he would return, and regarded his bonded one.

"Fawkes, welcome back, I've missed you," said Dumbledore. The phoenix eyed him silently. "That would be a weight off my mind," answered Dumbledore. "And I'm sure I'd enjoy some of Molly's excellent cooking even if I am unsuccessful." He left his desk and went to the fire to floo to the Burrow. 

A little while later David and Remus were rudely interrupted in their conversation by a large red plumbed bird landing on David's shoulder and taking hold of his hair.

"Ow, Fawkes, what d'you want?" he exclaimed. The bird continued pulling and David reluctantly rose to go where he was being led. Remus and Snuffles followed.

"I didn't know you knew Fawkes," Remus commented.

"Yeah, he appeared in my lab a few months ago. It was Fawkes who told me to go to that Library you work at." At that point David noticed where or rather towards whom they were headed. "You meddling gaudy chicken, how can you do this to me?" he grumbled loudly. Fawkes did not react other than to tug harder on his hair. "Okay, okay, I apologize for calling you a chicken but you have no idea what you are asking me to do." He lowered his voice and turned to Remus. "Whatever happens do not leave me alone with that man." By this time everyone in the garden was watching David and Fawkes, mostly in amusement. Fawkes finally let go when David was standing in front of Dumbledore who had risen from a chintz chair in which he had been sitting whilst talking to Molly.

"Good afternoon Professor," said David coldly. "My name's David. It appears that this manipulative phoenix desires us to meet."

"Yes and we should not disobey him," said Dumbledore ignoring David's tone. "Shall we sit down, Mr David?"

"I don't…" began David and then cut off and glared at the phoenix who had settled on Dumbledore's shoulder. "Oh very well," he huffed and sat down as if upon an invisible chair. "It's just David, Professor. I have no need for titles. Who would bond to a phoenix when they are this much trouble just to their friends!" Remus conjured a chair and joined them with Snuffles again lying at his feet and feigning disinterest in the human conversation.

"I hear from Fawkes that I have you to thank for his return. I haven't seen him in nearly two years, has he been with you all that time?"

"No, he appeared a couple of months ago. He can be very annoying but I will admit I have grown fond of him."

"Am I correct in thinking that you are the David who has had articles published in the last issues of most of the major British wizarding academic journals?"

"Yes that would be me."

"Fawkes told me to come here today to find a new member of staff. I am pleasantly surprised to be meeting you particularly if your practical skills reflect your written ones."

"They do. Do you require a teacher, healer or gamekeeper?"

"Teacher, specifically the Defence Against the Dark Arts position. I would like to interview you."

"I have no formal qualifications. I never took any official exams at school and after than my education was from a series of unofficial apprenticeships. I have no papers to prove my skills."

"I have employed staff without even that in the past. Your published work speaks to your knowledge."

"I've been declared insane."

"Fawkes says that was to keep you quiet and that you're saner than I am."

"You may be right about that," muttered David but nobody heard him since at that moment a loud crack sounded and Charlie Weasley apparated among them.

"David, are you as good with broken bones as you are with burns? There's been an accident in the orchard, Hermione…" but before he could finish David had drawn his wand and disappeared. "I'd best get back then," said Charlie and disapparated. Dumbledore turned to Remus and Molly.

"I think we'd better follow don't you?"

David appeared in the orchard clearing and immediately spotted a crowd of youths at one end, most clutching brooms. He shouldered his way past them to find Hermione lying on the ground and Neville restraining a distraught Ron repeatedly telling him that she must not be moved because she could have hurt her neck or back. David tried to take charge.

"Okay everyone, back up three paces, I need room to work." Nobody moved; then Charlie appeared and yelled.

"He can help her, now move!"

Once he had space David knelt down beside the prone girl and held his hands face down a few centimetres above her chest. A crimson glow started around his hands growing bigger and covering her whole body. It turned black around her neck left leg and chest and the crimson became muddy. As everyone watched the black slowly changed to muddy crimson over the course of about five minutes.

David removed his hands and spoke. "Hermione?" She opened her eyes and tried to sit up but David stopped her.

"Harry?" she asked.

"No Hermione. I'm David, Harry's dead."

"Yes, I saw him. He told me to come back, to live. He said Ron needed me."

"Hermione, do you remember what happened?"

Her brow creased in thought. "We were flying, but I never fly, I don't like it. Then I fell."

"Is that what happened?" David asked the onlookers.

"Yes, we were surprised that Hermione wanted to fly and she was really reckless. We tried to get her to be more careful, and then she fell."

"Hermione, you've been hexed," said David. "Someone has hexed you to want to fly and then to loose control and fall. The hex is still active, if I let you go now you would be in the air again as soon as you could. Don't worry, I can remove the hex. The thing is: do you know who did this to you?"

"No."

"What about your friends? Do any of you know?" There was a general shaking of heads. "Okay, now this is serious. Whoever did this to you wants you dead. The spell is still active which means you would continue flying and falling until you died. When I remove the hex I can create an echo of the event that created it. The thing is that this spell is of my own invention, it is not Ministry approved and given my lack of standing with those in power nobody will accept the echo as evidence of a crime. So you have a choice. You can go to St Mungo's and get them to remove the hex; the crime will be reported but you won't know the perpetrator. Or, I can remove the hex and show the echo; then you and your friends will know who it was and can be on your guard."

"Ron, what do you think I should do?" asked Hermione.

"See the echo. We don't know who did it. Going to St Mungo's won't help us protect you."

"Professor Dumbledore, what do you think?" asked Hermione spotting him.

"I agree with Ronald. Neither case will catch the perpetrator so it is best to be warned."

"Okay. Mr David could you please produce the echo?"

"It's just David; if I ever need a title I would use a more interesting one than Mr. I don't want to be accused of libel, so Ron, could you make sure that only people who will use this knowledge to help Hermione are here?" Ron nodded his approval of the witnesses. "I'm afraid you won't see it yourself Hermione, but if you trust your friends to bear witness? Good. I suggest you close your eyes, this will be a bit bright." 

David resumed his former position and once again the crimson light surrounded Hermione and grew muddy. Slowly it brightened to the original crimson. A mist grew out of the glow and rose above them. The mist solidified into a translucent depiction of a train corridor. It showed Hermione tripping over something and a flash of light catching her in the back as she fell. The flash came from further down the corridor, where a girl stood with wand outstretched. The image disintegrated, the crimson glow ceased and David stood up gesturing to Ron to help Hermione sit up.

"So who was it?" she asked.

"Pansy Parkinson," said Ron distastefully.

"But why? I know she doesn't like me, but kill me?"

"Isn't it obvious," snarled Ron. "She wants to be head-girl and knows you're her biggest competition. The question is what can we do about it?"

"You can do nothing Ron," said David resignedly. "However I can do something. I can make sure you are able to defend yourselves properly. Your defensive knowledge is obviously lacking, especially since I am given to understand that Hermione is top of your year." He turned to Dumbledore. "Recent events have caused me to reconsider your offer; however I wish to change it slightly. I am very busy with my own research which takes me all over the world. I am only really able to teach part time. Luckily I happen to know someone who less than an hour ago was telling me he'd like to teach at Hogwarts but due to his own commitments could only do so part time. Would you interview Remus and me for a job share?"

"Oh please do Professor," entreated Hermione, "Professor Lupin was the best DADA teacher we ever had." There was a chorus of agreement from the younger people around.

"Firenze and Professor Trelawney share a subject so it's not impossible," said Ginny hopefully.

"What do you think Fawkes, shall we have two Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers?" asked Dumbledore of the phoenix perched on his shoulder. "Gentlemen, Fawkes suggests that we adjourn to the castle for an interview. Shall we? I guarantee you will be back in time for Molly's wonderful supper." 


	6. Hogwarts Insists

5.Hogwarts Insists

"Certainly Professor," David agreed cutting off any protest Remus could have made. "I'll be with you in a moment; I must just ensure that Hermione knows how to complete her recovery."

"Of course. I'll be on my way to find Minerva. I'm sure Remus can direct you to my office? Will a quarter of an hour suffice?"

"That will be plenty, thank you Professor, I'll see you shortly." David turned back to Hermione who was now standing to the side with Ron. He swayed a bit and closed his eyes. "Just give me a moment," he said withdrawing a miniature bottle from his pocket and waving his wand to resize it. He uncorked it and downed the bright green contents. "Absolutely disgusting," he murmured grimacing as he shrunk the container and pocketed it. "Right," he said to Hermione. "Sorry about that, I was feeling a little drained. Okay, first thing's first, I suggest we ask all the spectators to give us some privacy, although if you are anything like I was when I was younger it would be a good idea to share this information with at least one of your friends who can ensure you do what you need to do to recover fully."

Ron wrapped his arm around Hermione and glared at the assembled group until they backed off. "Let's sit down shall we?" suggested David conjuring some chairs. "I'm a bit unsteady on my feet and I expect you are too.

"Now you need to thank your friend Neville because he stopped Ron moving you when you had damaged your neck and that could have killed or paralyzed you. He saved your life. And you Ron should go on a first aid course before you kill someone." Ron turned bright red. "I don't mean to be harsh, but you need to know. As to what I did to you; I fixed the bones in your neck, left leg and ribs. Your broken ribs had punctured your left lung so I healed that too. Your internal organs were all a bit damaged from the impact of the fall and I sorted them out. I used your magic to heal you so your magic levels are drained.

"Don't worry, it will come back but it will take a few days. It'll be quicker if you don't do any magic for the next three days or so. Then try something simple like 'lumos' and if it takes more concentration than normal give it a bit longer. Okay?"

"You said you were drained too, but you've taken a potion, couldn't I do that?"

"Unfortunately not. Yes I am drained, slightly, but more physically than magically and the potion I took has to be calibrated to the individual person. It took months for me to develop mine and that was with expert help."

"So I need to refrain from using any magic for a bit. Anything else?"

"Yes. You're physically drained too, so you need to take it easy for a few days and get a lot of rest. Do you live with your parents?"

"Yes."

"Would it be possible for you to stay with a magical family until you're recovered?"

"You can stay with us 'Mione," said Ron immediately. "With Pansy trying to kill you we can't leave you defenceless."

"My thoughts precisely," agreed David. "But the girl may not have been acting alone. Take care. Now let's head back to the house. I need to find Remus and make sure he comes with me to Hogwarts. Oh and one last thing, once your magic comes back get on a broom. If you don't do it soon you could develop a phobia." The three of them stood up and headed back to the Burrow, Ron with his arm protectively around Hermione.

Once back at the house Remus ushered David to the fire place and they flooed to the headmaster's office at Hogwarts. Dumbledore greeted them and introduced David to his deputy headmistress Minerva McGonagall. They sat down and Dumbledore offered around tea which David declined.

"The events in the orchard required me to take a revitalicorpus potion," he explained. "So I am unable to ingest anything for another fifty-two minutes."

"I hadn't realised Miss Granger was that badly injured," said Dumbledore.

"She would have died if it hadn't been for Neville er, Longbottom? And by the time someone had come from St Mungo's it would have been too late. That hex was meant to kill."

"What's this Albus? What happened to Miss Granger? Is she alright?" asked McGonagall worriedly.

Dumbledore indicated that David answer. "Hermione will be completely recovered in a few days if she rests and I believe Ron will ensure she does so." He went on to explain the events of the afternoon. "But we have no proof of the girl's involvement. Ron believes it was done to stop Hermione becoming head-girl. For all anyone knows I could be part of a betting ring wanting to take Pansy Parkinson out of the running by casting the hex myself and manipulating the echo. However Hermione is the reason I'm here. To walk away now would be as good as to murder her and whoever else the perpetrator dislikes."

"Oh the poor girl," said McGonagall. "Any other year she would have noticed the hex I'm sure, but this year, ever since Potter died she's been struggling, there are questions over her being head-girl because of it."

"We might have an opportunity to solve that problem," mused David. "When I healed her she said she'd seen Harry and he'd told her to come back and live. We could nudge her into interpreting this as him forgiving her the guilt she feels over him and telling her she has a right to be happy, that sort of thing."

"That's definitely worth a try," said McGonagall. "Albus I think it would be best coming from you?"

"I'll have a word with her this evening. Now I believe we should turn to other matters? David, are there any restrictions on the days you could work or any medical conditions we should know about?"

"I am flexible about when I work I just need a couple of days a week to do my own research. This sometimes involves travelling to other countries but I always visit my contacts they never come to me. I have no medical conditions I am aware of. When I do something big like this afternoon I find myself a bit drained but since I have the revitalicorpus formula recovery is not a problem. I always ensure I have some made up in case of emergency. I have suffered from magical repression in the past, but I am pretty much cured."

"That is good to hear. Remus has worked here before and attended this school so I know his background, but I know next to nothing about you David, except Fawkes recommends you. I can't employ you blind so to speak, could you tell us about yourself?"

"There is not much I can tell you, but I can give you a general outline. For my own safety I can give you few identifying facts, but I won't lie. If you ask a question I cannot answer I will say so.

"As I believe the headmaster has guessed I have Spanish routes." Dumbledore nodded. "My parents were British, but were worried because Voldemort was attempting to recruit my Dad; so they hid their marriage by having it in Spain and later decided to have me adopted at birth. I grew up in a muggle family unaware of my heritage or even the existence of magic. Unfortunately those muggles were aware that I was a wizard and thought it was in their (and possibly my) best interest to squash the magic out of me so that I wouldn't be part of the Wizarding World. They did a good job of it and I ended up with magical repression.

"At eleven my adoptive family could no longer keep me from magic as I was invited to go to a wizarding school. I was a very mediocre student due to the repression. After a few years the muggles had enough and that holiday they abandoned me in the middle of nowhere and I was locked up in a mad house.

"I'm not sure how long I was incarcerated, but I have found that at times of great need I have been able to break through the repression and do powerful magic. So that was how I ended a long way away with a man called Godric. He recognized that I was a wizard and he talked to me and came to the conclusions that I was suffering from magical repression. He helped me combat the repression and became my mentor. I also discovered my birth family. 

"So Godric mentored me and taught me and some of his friends helped particularly one I believe you knew headmaster, Nicolas Flamel? It was he who taught me to develop the revitalicorpus for my own magical signature. But now Godric and Nick are dead and I haven't interacted with the Wizarding World much for a while. After the way the wizarding authorities treated me and the way the muggles treated me I don't really trust anyone anymore. Then Fawkes found me in April and persuaded me first to publish some of my researches and travel a bit and secondly to get to know Remus and finally to speak to you headmaster."

"You've led an unusual life," said Dumbledore, "and I doubt I am the only one with questions; however I think the most vital one is whether you can give us anything to corroborate it?"

"I do not wish to give you any facts since to be blunt I have no reason to trust you with them. I can give you a message from Nick. Here." David stretched out his hand palm up and waved his wand at it; a mist started to rise from the hand. The mist solidified into a translucent figure, about ten inches tall, of a white haired man sitting cross legged apparently in mid air.

"Albus, my boy," the figure said. "If you're seeing this then David has finally taken our advice and gone to meet you. This is meant as an introduction of him to you. So first off I'd best confirm it's me. I'm thinking of the night we discovered the third use for dragon's blood and the incident involving a pink bikini, tartan socks and a welsh rarebit? I doubt you'll have revealed that to anyone.

"So identity established and I'll proceed. I think it would be of mutual benefit for you to take David under your wing for a while. He is a good student and definitely has potential in potions and alchemy although his strengths are more towards transfiguration and defence. I think you should persuade young Severus to spend some time with him to get him to practice.

"David needs to learn to trust the Wizarding World again after how he has been treated. They were all quite happy to leave him locked up. And that is where you come in. Also, Godric has passed on to David knowledge of magical repression and how to cure it and I believe that many Hogwarts students could benefit from that knowledge.

"In short take him under your wing and send me an owl to tell me how it's going. You know what, give him that job you complain is jinxed, we can have a wager as to whether he shows himself truly qualified and gets rid of the jinx."

The image dissolved. The eyes of everyone except Remus were very bright. "He was a good friend," said McGonagall.

"He was," Dumbledore agreed.

"Even if he did insist on wearing one green and one red sock," said David trying to lighten the mood.

"A tradition I continue in his memory," said Dumbledore raising his robe to show off his ankles. "Now I think the question of the hour is; what is magical repression? I have only a vague idea."

"Magical repression, as the name suggests is when a witch or wizard subconsciously suppresses his or her magic. It cannot be fully accessed under normal conditions although at times of stress the barriers may be broken. It was relatively common in previous centuries when we were being persecuted. The repression tends to occur either as the result of a traumatic event or as a learned behaviour such as in response to being severely penalized each time one displayed magical qualities. I've been blaming my school for not picking up on the problem, but if you don't know much about it, perhaps I shouldn't have."

The conversation drifted for a while around the importance of different topics on the DADA syllabus and the suggestions Remus and David had for teaching them. Finally Dumbledore said, "That all sounds fine, but there's one last question I must ask. Several members of staff and a few students are not completely human so your views on so called 'half breeds' are relevant."

"I imagine our views are similar since you have such individuals at the school. I believe everyone is an individual and needs to be evaluated on his or her own merits. So long as I don't have to work with anyone who is part dementor I doubt there will be a problem."

Dumbledore glanced at McGonagall who nodded slightly. "Well that's all then. We would be delighted to have the two of you on the staff."

"I think that there is something David should be aware of before agreeing to work with me, since most of the school will know," stated Remus turning to him. "David, I am a werewolf."

"Not a problem," David assured him. "I knew that when I met you in the library. Even if I hadn't, as I have said; I try to judge people on their character not their physical attributes."

"Thank you."

"When can you move into the castle?"

"I need to give a week's notice at the library," said Remus. "But any time after that is fine."

"I'm afraid I can't make it until the 31st," apologized David. "If I'm going to be working here I have a lot of loose ends to tie up."

"That'll have to do," said McGonagall. "But I do need you two to decide on text books by the end of the week."

David and Remus looked at each other. "I can do any time tomorrow and Tuesday," said Remus. "It's probably best if you come down to London since we will need the British Library." David nodded.

"There's one more thing," said McGonagall. "When David described magical repression I immediately thought of Neville Longbottom. He was did things a year ago when he was kidnapped and taken to the Department of Mysteries that we have never seen him capable of in class. Since he's about to enter his final year if he has got it he needs to be cured as soon as possible. Could you take a look at him before term begins?"

"Neville? I met him earlier at the Burrow. I'll have a word with him when I get back. Perhaps after I move into the castle we can discuss symptoms and identify other possible sufferers."

"Excellent," said Dumbledore. "Now we'd better be heading back to the Burrow. I believe Molly mentioned mint humbugs to which I am particularly partial. Traditionally new staff are announced at the start of year feast so I must ask you not to publicize our decision." 


	7. Matchmakers

6.Matchmakers

The four teachers flooed into the Burrow to discover the tables again set up and the guests preparing to sit down for a high tea. McGonagall immediately spotted Hermione and went over to check for herself that her protégé was indeed recovering. Once satisfied she moved to the table and sat down with Dumbledore. David and Remus made were greeted by a lively Snuffles who seemed overjoyed at their positive demeanour on returning. They sat down with Charlie and Tonks who were near the Grangers trying to shield them from Arthur's inane questions. 

After a brief period of embarrassment for David in with the Grangers thanked him profusely for saving their daughter's life and he made sure to point out Neville's role, the meal was an enjoyable affair. As it drew to a close with a distinct lack of mint humbugs Arthur rose to speak. He thanked everyone for coming and expressed a hope that they would gather together on many more occasions. He mentioned the events in the orchard praising Neville, Charlie and David for their actions. Once he had finished the table was cleared and coffee produced. Some guests started to leave whilst others moved seats to talk to new people. 

David watched Dumbledore head towards Hermione and then felt McGonagall's hand on his shoulder. She gestured towards Neville and his grandmother. David excused himself and the two of them approached the Longbottoms. They explained that David had been discussing his research with Professor Dumbledore and the possibility that Neville was suffering from magical repression which was not a widely recognized condition and so had not yet been picked up. David asked Neville a few questions about his abilities and those of his relatives, learning while doing so what had happened to Neville's parents.

"Well Neville," he concluded, "I think there is a strong possibility that you have magical repression. I can teach you to overcome it. It'll be hard work but what I'll get you to learn will be beneficial even if you don't suffer from it. Hopefully your memory and magical power will improve dramatically. I'm afraid the earliest I can meet with you is Wednesday though. Do you know how to use a phone?"

"Yes, Hermione taught me."

"Excellent, I'll give you my card," said David fishing one out and handing it over. "I'm afraid owls can't reach me. Give me a ring tomorrow and we'll set up a time to meet, if that would be alright with you Mrs Longbottom? It would help if you were also present."

Neville's grandmother gave her consent. McGonagall added, "I expect you to work hard Mr Longbottom. This could seriously improve your NEWT scores. David is willing to help you over the summer as a favour to me, so don't make him regret it."

"Yes Professor, thank you, and thank you sir."

As they moved off McGonagall turned to David. "I think you'd better give me one of those cards too," she said. "You didn't mention before that you couldn't receive owls."

"The place I live has no windows, and I travel around so much that any owl tracking me would get very confused. I suppose that now I have a proper job I had better think of purchasing an owl." The conversation drifted back to Neville and David explained the process of meditation which combated the repression. "It'd be good for you even if you haven't got repression," he claimed. "It promotes mental wellbeing. But if you have repression you have to talk about the events which triggered it and then come to terms with them so they no longer have any power over you. Meditation helps the process. If the person isn't repressed dealing with any traumatic memories should at least help them sleep better!"

"There must be more to it than that!"

"Meditation is very powerful. Using it you can manipulate your magical core. In simple terms that is how I was able to heal Hermione, but physical injuries are easier to heal than mental ones."

Charlie approached David and asked him if they could postpone returning to Romania until the next afternoon. "I've got tomorrow off you see, and Mum asked if I could stay so?" David readily agreed and then headed towards Remus and with McGonagall's help managed to rescue him from the school aged guests who were pestering him to find out if he would be teaching them or not. David arranged to meet Remus in London the next morning to go over the syllabi that Dumbledore had provided, and then left to say goodbye to their hosts. Molly insisted on inviting him to tea the next day since she had not had a chance to talk to him and he could leave with Charlie afterwards.

Once Remus and Snuffles had returned home and Sirius was able to transform and hold a conversation David's actions of the day were immediately dissected.

"I've replaced your 'maybe' with a 'yes," was the first thing Sirius said.

"No it's maybe." Sirius looked at him disapprovingly and Remus tried to explain. "I feel drawn to him, I need to be near him, to protect him and look after him, but I don't have any romantic feelings for him, just a sense of closeness. I'm hoping that it will develop into romance because to be attracted to him on top of the other feelings would be wonderful."

"You said before that you had felt that way about someone else, did that develop into romance?"

"No, and I didn't want it to."

"Didn't you like that person?"

"No I did, but I didn't want to lust after him," from the look Sirius was giving him Remus realised he did not buy that. He resigned himself to explaining. "Sirius, I felt that way about Harry. I think it was some kind of paternal instinct, but why would I feel paternal about David? He's probably older than me." He sighed. "It's too complicated."

David and Remus spent the next morning sitting in a muggle coffee shop going over the syllabi for the DADA OWL and NEWT and planning what to teach to each year group. They moved to the wizarding section of the British Library for the afternoon to browse possible textbooks. Just after four David left Remus to his reading and apparated to the Burrow for tea.

Later that evening Molly firecalled Sirius. "Hello Molly," he said, "how did the interrogation go?"

"Well David is a bit eccentric," she declared. "He wouldn't shake hands, didn't do so yesterday either. I have managed to establish that he is not in a relationship, but he declares his intent on not starting one either. The good news is that he is gay. Hermione managed to manipulate Fleur into giving him the full vela treatment. He laughed and told her that that might have worked when he was younger but he had since discovered that his interests lay elsewhere."

"That's a start," agreed Sirius.

"David did say that he wanted to get to know Remus better, and I gather he found out about Remus's condition yesterday so it obviously doesn't bother him."

The two proceeded to make a plan of attraction. 


	8. Grave Changes

7.Grave Changes

The next day David and Remus met again in the wizarding section of the British Library to finish matching books to their lesson plans. They were successful and McGonagall received their decisions in time to prepare the booklists. After that David said farewell to Remus saying he would see him at the end of the month at Hogwarts. The only people who saw him during the time in between were Neville and his grandmother. David lived up to his commitment to tutor Neville and spent an hour with him several times a week.

On the morning of 31st of July Severus Snape, potions master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry left the castle and apparated to a graveyard as he had done on this day every year for the past sixteen years. It was an ancient graveyard built around the rock under which legend said Merlin was sleeping until he was needed. This was the resting place of the zias and their spouses. All British zias were put to rest in this place were the ancient enchantments ensured that they could not be raised as inferi. An army of zia inferi would be unbeatable and must be kept out of the hands of a dark lord since who but a dark lord would create inferi anyway? Only undertakers, zias and their spouses were able to find or enter the glade. The Hapstaff House was the only other active zia house in Britain so Snape was understandably surprised to find that he was not alone.

Snape was not a social man particularly on this day of the year, and his marriage to Roger Dragon had been a secret one, known only to the dead. So Snape observed rather than approached the stranger. His astonishment grew as the man walked over to Roger's grave and knelt down passing his hands over the headstone. The man then stood up and appeared to be speaking but the words did not carry to Snape's ears. Seeing the man was unlikely to move for a while Snape drew closer. The interloper was wearing robes identical to the formal ones Roger had worn indicating that he was a zia of the same line. This confused Snape because he thought that their son David had been the last zia of the Crimson House and David had died a few months before. The man was short and thin and appeared very young, a mere teenager. He had short curly red hair and settled on top was a piece of crimson wire, just visible against its background, indicating he was the heir of the Crimson Lord. Snape hid as the man turned to walk away. He saw the insignia on his robes; it was Roger's crest, identical to the one he himself was wearing. He glanced up at the face and did a double take, there was his long nose and Roger's brilliant blue eyes, the cheekbones were Roger's too and there was a hint of Roger's father the last Crimson Lord about the chin. His gaze flicked to the man's forehead and found it clear of any blemish. This was David as he would have been in a world without Voldemort, where David would have known of his heritage and been free of the adoption charms, where he Severus Antirrhinum would not have condemned his only child to suicide in Azkaban.

Snape's long buried emotions called to him, he ached to run to this apparition of his son, but he could not. "David?" he croaked out almost against his will.

The figure paused and looked at him. "Father?" he asked. He seemed uncertain of what to do as Snape walked towards him. "Come and see," he said finally and led the way back to the grave. Snape lurched on unsteady feet towards his spouse's grave when he noticed the headstone. Instead of 'Roger Brian David Dragon' the legend showed Roger's married name as well and underneath the words 'loving spouse, loving maternal who gave his life that his son might live,' had been added. "It is fitting we should be here together today," said David. "That is what Dad would have wanted. One day we will both lie beside him."

"You know you can't," said his father sorrowfully. "Your body lies at Azkaban. I know you weren't insane, why did you join him and kill them?"

"I didn't," the boy said simply. "I have never killed anyone. My innocence will be proved and I will lie here with my family."

"You want to be near me in death; after all I did to you?"

"I don't blame you. I blame Dumbledore and Fudge. Would you like to know what really happened? We could perform the mind ritual."

Severus regarded the young man. He knew David had died, Albus had personally seen his corpse, and nobody could have told David of his true heritage anyway. He was the only person who knew who had lived to know him as more than a toddler. It was possible that his adoptive parents had left details of his true heritage for future guardians in case of their deaths, but the boy had never given any indication that he knew in previous years. He should also have an incurable curse scar on his forehead. Yet if this man was not his own flesh and blood he would not be able to perform the ritual. It would decide the point and Severus knew that if he refused he would always wonder who the man had been.

"Very well," agreed Severus, "but we do it here and now."

"That seems fitting," agreed David, "but please allow me to guide you to appropriate memories and leave when I ask you to. I am willing to show you more at a later date but I'm sure you realise that I am due at the palace this afternoon."

"Agreed," said Severus shortly. He conjured up a leather arm chair and sat down with his feet apart. David produced a cushion without even waving his hand and placed on the ground between Severus's feet. David sat on the cushion with his back to his father, leaning against his chair so that his head was at a comfortable height for Severus to lay his hands on. Severus placed his hands palm down on his son's head sinking them in his curls. A crimson glow surrounded Severus's hands and he was plunged into David's mind.

When Severus removed his hands he sat stunned for a few minutes. He had never questioned his son's guilt since he had believed he had witnessed him taking the Dark Mark, but he now saw that the truth was quite different. The boy had been horribly betrayed by all the adults who were supposed to be looking after him. A small voice pointed out that the mutt and the werewolf had not really been able to do anything, but he squashed it habitually disinclined to give that pair any credit. The idea that Albus could have done such vile deeds was unthinkable. They had all been wrong about David so was it possible that David was wrong about Albus? Pushing that thought aside for future debate Severus made up his mind to finally take up his paternal duties. He still did not know how the boy was still alive or what he planned to do but intending to go to the palace was a good sign. Once he had been sworn in the boy's own magic would force him along the path of light. 

Severus was brought back to reality by David pushing firmly at his legs which he had been unaware were tightly holding the boy, and standing up. He took a moment to compose himself before turning to his father.

"As much as I disliked reliving that," he said with a wry smile, "it feels good not to be the only one who knows anymore. Would you like to join me for lunch? While neither of us would be able to discuss most of what you saw due to that retched secrecy vow, I am sure we have a lot of catching up to do?"

"Lunch would be fine," agreed Severus standing up and vanishing the chair and cushion. He could have left them there since conjured items rarely lasted longer than twenty four hours and it was unlikely that anyone would find them before they disappeared but it was in his nature to be neat.

"I believe it has been a while since you have been home," said David. "I have added a few security measures. I'll need to apparate you."

Severus indicated his permission and David tentatively put an arm around his shoulders reminding himself that the man was his father and no longer his hated professor, before apparating them both to Lions' Den. Severus had not set foot in the place since Roger's funeral and was pleasantly surprised by its condition. The house had been unoccupied for over eight years since the death of the last Crimson Lord, David Dragon, Roger's father. Eight years was a long time to be unoccupied, even for a magical house. The house could not be sold unless the Crimson House died out. Granted there had been two house elves living there but Severus could remember the state the Black house had been in when the Order had moved in, despite the presence of Kreacher.

"You live here?" he asked David.

"Yes, moved in after Azkaban. With Grandfather's passing only family could get here uninvited and I knew he had banished you which would mean I would be undisturbed. I warned the house elves while we were in the glade that there might be one more for lunch. Would you like me to show you the renovations I have made?"

Severus swallowed the biting remark he wished to make and focused on the idea that David and Potter were two different people. David certainly behaved differently. He allowed his son to show him round the house that he had once hoped would be his home and even relaxed enough to complement him on some of the changes he had made. It appeared David was nervous of showing him the potions laboratory since he left it for last. This made his father very apprehensive since he had spent many happy hours in that room, but he was pleased, if shocked, by the new contents of the room when he finally saw it.

"Did you make these?" he asked gesturing at the cupboard full of phials whose labels showed no professional logo.

"Yes," replied David, "go ahead; have a sniff of some. I would like to know your opinion."

Severus complied, putting his sensitive nose to use examining several different concoctions. "How?" he said at last.

"The usual way; ingredients, cauldron, heat and stirring, how d'you think?"

Severus gave him the patented Snape glare. "Fine! How'd I get the knowledge? How'd I escape Azkaban?" Severus nodded. "I may be just seventeen physically, but in many ways I have lived a lot longer. My upbringing meant that I am unable to access all my magic except when I am desperate. That last day in Azkaban I was desperate and the main thing on my mind was returning to my parents. I managed to enter the realm of the dead, but be still alive. I could not touch anything but I could use my other senses and use magic. James and Lily introduced me to Roger and he took me to meet the rest of the family. Godric Gryffindor worked out why I couldn't use all my magic and he helped me improve. Time doesn't have much meaning there so I don't know how long I visited for, but judging by the amount I learnt it was years not days. We planned my escape from Azkaban and the downfall of Voldemort. Unfortunately you killing him wasn't in the plan so I have been pretty much making it up as I go along."

"Strange things always seemed to happen around you."

"Quite. Perhaps you can help me with the current phase of my mission; I've been told that certain items I require are at No. 12 Grimmauld Place, London, but I can't find that building anywhere. I think it must be under the fidelius charm. You teach; can you give me a shortlist of those capable of performing the charm for me to work through?"

"What are these items?" asked Severus.

"Four of Voldemort's seven horcruxes." Severus gave a sharp exclamation and then began to laugh. "What's so funny?" asked David.

"I have access to that building," said Severus when he had calmed down. "I can't tell you anything about that, but you can guess why I might have access?"

"Something to do with Dumbledore or the Order I suppose - unless it's a big potions warehouse."

"Not a warehouse," confirmed Severus. "Albus has been looking for the horcruxes for years and now you're saying they've been under his nose for some time and he hasn't spotted them."

"Father, those horcruxes must be destroyed," said David seriously. "But can we trust Dumbledore to do so if I give him the information?"

"Yes, he will destroy them, but he will investigate you thoroughly to find out how you knew about them. That could be unfortunate. If the items are there then there is no rush. It would be best if we were to find some other way for you to get into the house. Perhaps after Albus gets to know you we could persuade him to invite you there."

"To join the Order you mean?"

"It would help with your task."

They continued their discussion over lunch. Severus wanted to know more about what David had studied and David wanted to know the current state of politics within the Wizarding World and at Hogwarts. Severus groused that he had been beaten to the defence against the dark arts job by his own son, but he was secretly pleased that David would be at Hogwarts giving them an opportunity to get to know each other better. They were going to be truthful about their relationship for the most part, but make it appear that Severus was a close friend of David's dad, had taught David potions but not mention that it was at Hogwarts, and above all be vague about dates.

"Would you like to accompany me to the palace? You are dressed for it after all, and really you should be there," asked David.

"Yet you didn't originally intend to invite me."

"How could I have? If I had sent you an owl telling you about it you would have known that I was alive and informed the headmaster."

"Out of interest, what will be your emblem?"

"Not a lightning bolt by any means. I have decided to go with a representation of my animagus form in honour of the Marauders."

"May I ask what form you take?"

"Think Rudyard Kipling's 'Just So' stories. Which animal would you chose for an independent self sufficient person like me?"

Severus and David returned to Lions' Den after their brief audience with the queen. David took a bath while Severus decided to spend some time reacquainting himself with the house and browsing through the library instead. When David walked back into his room he found that Simba had as usual anticipated his requirements. She had laid out muggle clothing for him and his formal robes had been taken away. It had taken David a long time to get used to having someone else pick out his clothes. He had never had much choice of what to wear as a child but one of the few things he had had control over in his life had been exactly which pair of socks he would wear on which day. He had to admit that Simba did tend to have a better idea of what matched with what than he did himself. She would not have allowed Nick or Albus to wear one red and one green sock. Remembering Dobby's ridiculous ideas about what attributes pairs of socks it had been a shock to find that Simba knew perfectly well what type of formal robes were required for each occasion. David supposed that the Malfoys just never used Dobby as a valet. Also the idea of a Malfoy valet laying out muggle clothing was highly amusing.

David morphed his appearance into that of his 'work' identity. The older image David used was a tribute to his adoptive parents; a mixture of James's and Lily's features but in a different way to Harry. He had Lily's red hair which hung straight to his shoulders and James's hazel eyes. It was an appearance similar to his natural one, with the same height and physical build; it was really only the facial features and age which were different. This was necessary since it was a disguise he used for days at a time and the more that he changed the harder it would be to keep form. A difference in gender was the worst, but a change in height or body mass was also difficult. 

David picked up his trunk and accompanied Severus back to Hogwarts stopping briefly at Severus's house at Spinner's End so that he could change his robes. After less than a minute in the dreary building David had resolved to get Severus to move into Lions' Den as soon as possible; it should have been his home for years. 

Minerva McGonagall was very surprised to see David walking up to the castle with Severus while she waited at the door for him.

"Good evening Professor McGonagall," David greeted her. "I ran into Severus this morning and he told me we would be colleagues. Will you join me in my plot to make him wear a colour other than black before the year is out?"

Both men savoured the stunned expression on the woman's face before Severus decided to up the ante by smiling. "I've known this imp for years," he declared. "And threatening my wardrobe is quite a mild retaliation for the things I have done to him." It was now David's turn to look surprised. It would appear that Professor Snape had mellowed a bit. David inconspicuously put some distance between them in case he had gone completely insane and was about to ruffle David's hair.

Professor McGonagall summoned a house elf to take care of David's trunk and then led him to the headmaster's office. Severus excused himself and headed for his own rooms.

"How do you know Severus?" she asked as they walked.

"He was close to my dad. He died in Severus's arms which was very hard on Severus. He's taken it on himself to look out for me. It's been a long time since I've seen him but we ran into each other this morning and caught up a bit. I didn't know he was still teaching here."

"Does that mean that you know where he disappears to on this day every year?"

"Yes, why?"

"Rolanda has been keeping a book on it for ten years since she noticed his annual absence."

"What are the options she's giving?"

"She won't reveal what people have bet on, but I know Hagrid had his money on it being something to do with it being Harry Potter's birthday, although since he went again this year that seems unlikely. Personally I thought it had more to do with something he did which he regretted, a sort of penance."

"My lips are sealed since he obviously doesn't want you to know, but I think I am going to have to talk to Rolanda. The bets could be highly entertaining. What does she teach?"

"Flying and she coaches quidditch too."

"I'll definitely need to talk to her then. I played seeker while at school. Is there a staff team?"

The rest of their walk through the castle was taken up with quidditch talk as Minerva (she had explained that all the staff were on a first name basis) defended the current school policy of not having a staff-student match and David tried to persuade her that it would be a good idea. They were still deep in discussion when they entered the headmaster's office and Albus Dumbledore was most intrigued by the idea, particularly since he could remember such matches from his own student days. Minerva was not pleased and predicted that such an event would make the staff look like fools. The headmaster just smiled infuriatingly at her.

Tradition placed the potions master next to the defence master so David found himself wedged between Severus and Remus at supper. Not all the staff were present in the castle, but those who were welcomed David warmly. After supper Albus asked Remus to show David to his rooms. 

"I'm afraid it's been a while since Hogwarts has had this many teachers actually living in the castle," said Remus apologetically. "The only rooms left are these which used to be Albus's before he became headmaster. He has 'interesting' taste and since he's the only one who can convince the castle to redecorate, and nobody wants to offend him by asking him to do so, hence they have been avoided."

Remus gave the password and the door opened. He stood back to allow David to enter. David did so wearily remembering the headmaster's brightly coloured robes. He was surprised to find that the room was completely black and white. There was no colour to be seen. "His tastes have changed," he commented. "Do you want to start work tonight or will it wait until morning?"

"It can wait, you probably want some time to unpack and settle in. Would you like me to give you a tour later?"

"Thanks that would be useful. Could you give me an hour to sort out my things?"

"Certainly, I'll come for you in an hour."

"Thanks."

When Remus returned he was amazed by the sight that met his eyes. Gone were the black carpet and white walls and in their place was a blue and crimson colour scheme. "Lady Hogwarts likes me," explained David grinning at his surprise. 


	9. Sirius Trouble

8.Sirius Trouble

David quickly settled into a routine at Hogwarts. He woke, ran around the lake and had breakfast. He would spend the morning with Remus in their office working on lesson plans and then would disappear after lunch into his rooms to do his own research. Some evenings he spent tutoring Neville Longbottom and others he met up with the staff getting to know them. At some point Remus had mentioned the possibility of a duelling club and so David had started duelling with Remus and Fillius Flitwick for practice. Fillius was better at the magical side, but Remus was able to fight in the muggle way too. Remus had tried to persuade David spar with him physically but he refused, even so they spent some time duelling each day in the Room of Requirement.

One morning David entered the DADA office to find Remus pacing nervously. "What's up?" he asked.

"I'm worried about a friend of mine," replied Remus clenching and unclenching his fists.

"Is he ill? Can I help?"

"No."

"No I can't help? No he's not ill? What has happened to get you so worked up?"

Remus did not answer. David conjured a mug of strong sweet tea and handed it to him. "Drink this, sit down and tell me what's happened," he ordered. Remus eyed the tea suspiciously. "It's only tea, honest. It'll help you calm down, my godmother swore by it, you don't have to drink it, but I would appreciate it if you did tell me what's going on. I might be able to help."

Remus nursed the mug drawing strength from its warmth. "Lily used to dole out tea when someone was upset," he said absently. "My friend, he's been arrested for something he didn't do. Fudge wants him kissed. Albus has gone to try to prevent it and get him a trial but I don't know if he will be successful. Albus doesn't have as much pull at the Ministry as he used to."

David's face went pale beneath his tan. "Remus, are you telling me that Sirius Black has been recaptured?"

Remus stared at him in surprise. "Yes, but he's innocent. It was Pettigrew who killed all those people and betrayed the Potters. I swear it wasn't Sirius."

"I know."

"You do? How?"

"The question should be 'what can I do about it?"

"You mean you can help him."

"Yes," said David, "Or rather I can ask Lord Crimson to help him. I may be gone for a while, please don't tell anyone why I've gone."

David left the office and once he was alone apparated to his bedroom at Lions' Den to change. He dug out his formal attire and morphed his appearance to his natural one as would be required for the pledge. A few minutes later he turned himself invisible, apparated to the Ministry, swept past the bored wizard at the welcome desk and made his way to the holding cells. 

David walked up to the auror in charge of the holding cells, reappeared and demanded to see Sirius Black. The man refused. David was not impressed that he had had not signal his presence and he had not been noticed by this supposed elite guard while he sneaked in.

"I will see Sirius Black even if I have to go and get the Minister to let me in personally, which I am perfectly sure he will. So why don't you save me the bother and let me see him."

"Well see here, how do I even know that you are Lord Crimson? You could have just read the papers saying that there was a new Crimson Lord who was camera shy and decided to impersonate him."

The circuit on David's head began to glow and above it the image of a rampant lion appeared. "Satisfied?" he asked impatiently as the image dissipated. "Now let me see Sirius Black." The auror hesitated, obviously wondering what he should do, on the one hand Fudge would not want him to offend and alienate a zia, particularly a ruling zia, on the other Fudge had given strict orders that nobody speak to the prisoner. David took advantage of his indecision to walk past him and towards the cells. David stretched his senses to find Sirius and located his cell. He opened the door effortlessly, and walked inside. The door closed and locked behind him.

Sirius was drawn from his miserable contemplations by the door to his cell opening. Had he been able to do so, he would have exclaimed his surprise when a figure walked in. By his robes the man was the Crimson Lord yet he bore a frightening resemblance to Sirius's old school enemy Severus Snape.

"I have placed a privacy charm over this room, we will not be overheard," said the Crimson Lord as he removed the silencing charm on Sirius. "Mr Black, you should now be able to speak." He pulled something from his pocket and then crimson orchid appeared in his hand, he held it out towards Sirius. "I hope this brings you joy, it was chosen for my house by Godric Gryffindor. I offer it to you."

Sirius gaped and finally took the orchid. "Thank you," he said "Before I can swear allegiance I need to know a few things my lord."

"You may ask your questions Mr Black."

"Thank you my lord. Why are you offering this to me?"

"If you are adopted into my house then Fudge will be forced to give you a trial which should prove you innocent."

"Thank you my lord. Does the Crimson House have any alliances with Death Eaters?"

"At present the Crimson House has no alliances. Were it to come to my attention that someone under my protection was an unrepentant Death Eater I would disown that person."

"Finally, under what circumstances may I end the alliance?"

"You may end it at any time you choose simply by asking me to. Though if a disagreement arises I would prefer to try to settle it amicably first."

"Thank you my lord. I accept your offer." Sirius stood in front of David who placed his hands on Sirius's head. "I Sirius Black pledge my allegiance to the Crimson House. I will uphold its honour as my own and listen to its council."

"I David Roger Severus Godric Antirrhinum, Crimson Lord, accept your pledge and extend to you the fellowship and protection of my house," said David and a crimson glow formed round his hands and then left passing over Sirius's body and disappearing at his feet. As it passed by the orchid it changed it into a gold pendant of a cat, identical to the insignia on the Crimson Lord's robes. Once the glow had disappeared David took the pendant and hung it round Sirius's neck. "Excellent, it's worked. That's the first time I've done that so I wasn't sure it would. No ill effects I hope?"

"I feel fine, a bit shocked, but okay."

"I have a favour to ask you," said David smiling. "One of my public duties is a governorship of Hogwarts. I am free to delegate the post and I hoped you would take it. My spies tell me that Lucius Malfoy was displeased with the loss of his own seat and managed to persuade the other governors that my house had died out and since his mother was a Bolder zia he was next in line for the position. I would dearly like him to be thrown out."

"Ooh, revenge against dear cousin Cissy, count me in."

"Good, I was going to add that you could put forward a proposal for compulsory pranks by students on Professor Snape every Thursday but I see the added incentive is unnecessary. The other bonus is that it will give the headmaster and other teachers the right to visit you on 'school business' during your incarceration. With that sorted I can go to talk to dear Fudgie about your trial date. Just one thing, don't mention my name to anyone I like my privacy; just refer to me as Crimson. Sirius, I'll see you soon. I will know through the pendant if you are in particular trouble." 

David exited the cell to come face to face with a flustered Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic and the auror they had seen earlier who had obviously been trying to open the door. Albus stood to the side his eyes twinkling brightly.

"Hello Minister, so good of you to save me the journey up to your office," said David suppressing a smile.

"It is a pleasure to see you my lord, I was wondering if there was anything I could help you with?" asked Fudge, ever the politician.

"Not really Minister. I was just here to wish Mr Black the best for his trial."

"Trial?" blustered Fudge.

"Yes trial. Sixteen years is a bit of a delay isn't it? I understand you could hardly give him one the last three years, but loosing the paper work while he was detained in Azkaban for thirteen seems a bit heartless. Naturally I would come to give Mr Black my support since James would be horrified by the situation he's in. Mr Black is a member of my fellowship and under my protection."

"Really Cornelius it would be wise if you informed Lord Crimson of the trial dates you would not want to give the impression that one of the Crimson Fellowship was being denied a trial," said Albus wisely.

Fudge stared pleadingly at the auror for another solution before finally giving in. "The date has yet to be fixed," he stalled. "Trials of this magnitude take a while to organise you understand my lord? As soon as it's finalised I will be certain to send word."

"Thank you Minister. As you know I am somewhat of a recluse, so I would appreciate it if my name was kept out of the press. I will be able to find the trial dates from the papers so please do not contact me or mention my visit." He smiled sweetly. "I'm sure you understand."

David swept out. He left a furious Fudge behind him who was realising that he had to come up with a reason for the press as to why Black was getting a trial instead of loosing his soul to a dementor's kiss.

David apparated back to his bedroom and changed into his more comfortable muggle clothes and 'work' appearance before returning to Hogwarts and the DADA office to find Remus.

"The Crimson Lord just got back from the Ministry," he said. "Sirius has made the pledge and has the full protection of the Crimson House so Fudge has been forced to agree to a trial." 


	10. Mistakes with Muggles

9.Mistakes with Muggles

After supper while David and Remus were chatting in David's sitting room there was a knock on the door and Albus came in. "I have good news," he told them beaming. "Sirius's trial has been scheduled for the last week of September. Since he has escaped from both Azkaban and Hogwarts they are keeping him at the Ministry in the meantime."

"I'm glad he's not returning to Azkaban," said David.

"That's assuming he isn't found guilty," said Remus worriedly.

"Nah, Crimson has promised that if Sirius is sent to Azkaban he will personally break him out. And I am under no illusions that he will be able to do it," David assured him.

Albus perked up at the mention of Crimson. He had been wondering how he had become involved and was particularly keen to set up a meeting with the young zia. There was a prophesy involving the destruction of Voldemort which had appeared to be concluded by the death of Harry Potter. When Albus had realised that Crimson's birth date also fit the prophesy he had allowed himself to hope that it had referred to Crimson instead and Voldemort's destruction was still possible. "I am curious as to how Lord Crimson was persuaded to involve himself," he commented mildly. "As I understand he was only sworn in a few weeks ago, and given his age I do not see how he could know Sirius."

"Well about that, I suppose I should explain," said David. "I know the Crimson Lord very well and I wanted Sirius to get a trial. Crimson seemed the most likely person to have enough influence to get him one."

"How do you know Lord Crimson?" asked Albus.

"I have been living at Lions' Den for the last few months. I would prefer you didn't spread it around that I know him though. I don't want people using me to get his favour or anything."

"I can understand the sentiment," said Albus, "but it is very important that I speak with him." David shook his head so Albus pressed on with his reasons. "During his first rise Voldemort assassinated many zias, including several members of the Crimson House, and most of the remaining zias renounced citizenship and fled the country. The Crimson Lord is in danger which will only increase when Voldemort returns. Lord Hapstaff has over a century of experience and many family members to call on to keep himself protected but the Crimson House numbers at the most two. Lord Crimson is only seventeen and cannot have the knowledge he needs to survive. I am part of an organisation which exists to combat Voldemort. We can offer him support and protection. I would like to offer him a transfer to Hogwarts for his final year of schooling."

"Roger went to great lengths to keep his son's identity from you in almost direct defiance of his father. I know you were a close friend of Roger's father but Roger's son would not consent to being your student."

"It would be best for those of us who oppose Voldemort to work together, by dividing us he gains the advantage," said Remus diplomatically.

"That is true," said David thoughtfully. "But there are some things that are difficult to forgive."

"I would like to know which of my actions caused this attitude," said Albus, but it was a command not a request.

David found himself sinking into his memories with a huge urge to discuss them. The secrecy vow prevented him communicating what happened so all that came out were a few grunts as he realised what was going on and combated the spell. "That was underhanded and uncalled for," he ground out through gritted teeth. "Haven't you put me through enough torture without forcing me to remember it vividly on a whim? Do not bring this topic up again. Goodnight! I am sure you can see yourselves out."

David rose and walked unsteadily out of the room without looking at his companions. He managed to make it to his own bed before he collapsed transformed into his animagus form and curled up in a ball, shaking as he tried to deal with the memories evoked by the conversation. Eventually he fell asleep.

The next few days David ignored the other teachers as much as he could. He still duelled with Remus but did not respond to his efforts at conversation. Albus had instructed Remus to try to find out what he could about David, and in an effort to keep his worry over Sirius at bay Remus had concentrated on his task. He was not please with the last method Albus had employed to get information from David and hoped that he could prevent a repeat of it. David was uncooperative and Remus realised he would have to work hard to win his trust.

David eventually started to talk again, but only about things related to Hogwarts. He refused to discuss his past or relationship with the Crimson House. Remus had managed to break the ice by confiding his fears about Sirius. While not elaborating on why the house was helping the man, David assured him that the Crimson Lord would not allow Sirius to be executed or sent back to Azkaban. He explained that as a member of the Crimson Fellowship Sirius wore a pendant which could not be removed against his will and which would alert other members of the house if he was in danger.

Over the time they spent working together Remus managed to re-establish his friendship with David, although he was very much aware that his feelings towards the man were no longer in any way platonic or paternal. If the attraction was mutual David never gave any indication of it. Two weeks before term began David was summoned to Minerva's office.

"David I have a couple of things to discuss with you about the code of conduct we have for our professors," began Minerva. "Firstly you are expected to wear robes while on duty." David frowned and appeared about to protest. "I haven't said anything about your attire before because classes have not been in session," she continued, "but I have begun to wonder whether you even own any robes."

"I only have one set and they are far too formal," admitted David. "I suppose this means I will have to get some. What's the second thing?"

"It would not be appropriate for the students to call you David, you need a surname."

"I really don't think that's necessary. We all call Firenze simply Firenze and Hagrid is always Hagrid not Rubeus. Surely I can be simply David?"

Minerva frowned but conceded that he had a point and was slightly happier when she heard him asking Remus over lunch to help him get some suitable robes. Remus knew much better than David how to look presentable if this summer was anything to judge by, particularly now that he had the money to dress well having inherited a lot from Potter.

The next day Remus and David were duelling in the grounds near the lake David wearing the new duelling robes he had purchased. In the middle of their exchange of spells David suddenly stood still and allowed Remus's spells to hit him.

"Sorry Remus, something's come up. I'm needed in Majorca," explained David after Remus revived him. Remus was busy comprehending the fact that David had lost deliberately, when he realised David was still speaking. "…handle the Death Eaters but I need help making sure the muggles are kept out of it. Will you come with me?"

"What now? To Majorca?"

"Yes, please, there's no time to waste."

"Alright."

David tentatively put his arm around Remus's shoulders, hesitating a few inches above him before gripping them and apparating them both away from Hogwarts. They materialized in a hallway.

"I expect the muggles will be in the dinning room," said David. "Try to keep them calm and away from the windows. I'll be back once I've taken care of the Death Eaters." Before Remus could answer David had disapparated. Deciding it was best to follow instructions since he did not have a clue what was going on Remus followed the hallway to find the muggles. 

"You!" shouted the woman seated at the table as he came into view.

A large beefy man turned to see the cause of her exclamation. He took in Remus's attire and started to go purple. "I thought we had a deal," he said angrily. "You weren't supposed…"

"He's not one of them," hissed the woman. "He was one of her friends."

"They promised us we would have nothing more to do with any freaks. So you, get out of my house!" he responded.

Remus was standing in the doorway in shocked silence. The memory of a funeral he had attended years earlier with Lily Evans came to mind. The vague familiarity of the woman's face coupled with her comment had given him the worrisome impression that she was Petunia Evans, who was supposed to be dead.

"Petunia?" he asked tentatively.

"Not any more," snarled the woman. "Had to change my name because of that wretched boy. You heard my husband, get out of our house!"

Remus conquered his surprise and realised he needed to take charge of the situation before the large purple man tried to bodily remove him. "No. I'm here because there are Death Eaters outside. I've been asked to keep you safe while they are dealt with." He gestured towards the French windows at the end of the room through which David could be seen battling against three masked wizards who were trying to get past him and into the room.

When David entered the room some quarter of an hour later he found Remus sitting at the table calmly drinking a cup of tea while three purple faced muggles sat stiffly in their chairs looking in horror at the burnt mess where their French windows had been.

"Ah my dear St Johns," said David standing in front of said windows, "I have just repelled, on your behalf three Death Eaters. Your would-be-killers are no longer a threat, but I expect more will come. Perhaps in the future you will heed my advice and change your password a bit more often? I checked and it has been three months since you did so. I believe I warned you that it could be broken in between two and three weeks. Heed that warning in future and you shouldn't see any of us. I assure you I have better things to do with my time than come hundreds of miles to sort out your problems. Remus if you've finished your tea shall we be on our way?"

"I'll just release them and then we can go," said Remus waving his wand at the muggles. David walked up to him and once again put his arm around Remus's shoulders. The apparated away to shouts of "freak."

They appeared again in David's sitting room. He let go of Remus and gestured to a chair before sinking in one himself. "I imagine you want to know what that was all about?" he asked tiredly.

"I would," replied Remus dryly. "Particularly how you were able to apparate within Hogwarts."

"Well I did tell you Lady Hogwarts likes me. She allows me through her wards; I believe she lets Albus apparate too."

"So why were the Death Eaters after those muggles?"

"It's Albus's fault," said David. "He involved the St Johns in the war against their wishes; they can't stand anything magical. He later offered them a way out and helped them 'disappear' but it would seem the Death Eaters have some grudge against them. I'm not really sure why; it's not like they can have any further part to play in the war."

"Why would Albus involve them in our war? How could they help?"

"You'd have to ask Albus why he did it. It makes no sense to me. Thanks for your help anyway; that was the first attack. Since I discovered they were alive and put in security measures, hopefully in future they will follow the instructions and further attacks will be repelled without my involvement."

"What did you do with the attackers?"

"I sent them anonymously to the Ministry. I believe they are all on the wanted list so there was no need to reveal what I caught them doing."

There was a knock at the door. "Come in," said David as he and Remus stood up to greet whoever it was. Albus and Minerva entered. They all sat down.

"I would like to know," began Albus addressing David, "what you have done to enable you to apparate within Hogwarts."

"I haven't 'done' anything. Lady Hogwarts is fond of me and has allowed me the convenience of apparating within her domain."

"That is a privilege of the headmaster," said Minerva bristling. "Are you trying to claim to be headmaster?"

"No not at all," David assured her horrified. "It's simply a matter of convenience. All the Hogwarts founders were able to do it; I am descended from Godric Gryffindor so I can too."

"I would prefer you didn't use this ability in front of witnesses. People are less likely to try to attempt something if they think it is impossible and that protects Hogwarts," said Albus.

"I wasn't planning to," David assured him. "Today was an emergency. I brought us back here rather than in the open, though I had thought nobody had seen us." He caught sight of Minerva's slightly pink face, "Oh I see, no 'body' but perhaps a cat out for a stroll?" he suggested grinning.

"I trust the emergency was resolved satisfactorily?" said Albus.

"It's fine now. These things come up every so…"

"Albus, did you know that Petunia Evans or whatever her married name was and her family are still alive?" asked Remus cutting David off.

"No," said Albus, "I think you need to explain what happened."

"David said he was needed in Majorca because some muggles were being attacked by Death Eaters and he asked me to help him," said Remus as David stared blankly into space. "He asked me to keep the muggles in the house while he sorted out the attackers. I was very surprised to recognise one of the muggles as Lily's sister Petunia. When we got back David told me he had sent the Death Eaters to the Ministry and that the muggles were the St John family, though I think he knew who they really were."

"David would you tell us what is going on?" commanded Albus.

"Albus you don't fool me, you knew perfectly well that that family are alive although I would have hoped you would have protected them better," said David coldly.

"I assure you I did not know that they were still alive. Their being so raises some worrying questions," said Albus making sure he was in eye contact with David.

David brushed the surface of Albus's thoughts and found no deceit. "Explanations would probably be best coming from the Dursleys," said David grudgingly. "I'm sure they will be delighted to see you. You'll need me to set up the portkey. When do you want to see them?" 


	11. Delightful Dursleys

10.Delightful Dursleys

Vincent St John had not been having a good day. For the first time he was beginning to regret selling his nephew to those freaks who were after him. He had been promised that he would not have anything more to do with magic, yet a couple of hours ago there had been two wizards in his house and several more on his lawn. Worst of all those on his lawn appeared to be trying to kill his family. It now appeared that the security system salesman who had called a few months before to install their alarm system had actually been a wizard too. His wife had recognised one of the wizards, said he was a friend of her sister. The man had been surprised to see them, no wonder since they were supposed to be dead. It was probably only a matter of time before the freakiest one of them all Albus Dumbledore turned up. Vincent knew there was no point in running but that other wizard who had turned up had protected them; hopefully he would continue to do so.

Vincent was therefore angry but resigned when he answered the door to find their old neighbour Mrs Figg accompanied by the wizards from earlier, an old man with an extremely long white beard and another unknown man.

"You're looking very healthy for someone who died, Vernon," said Mrs Figg. "Perhaps you would invite us in so we can discuss your remarkable recovery?"

Vincent sighed. "If we answer your questions will you then leave us alone?" he asked.

It was the wizard-salesman who answered, "That entirely depends on your answers; it would appear your actions in the past were not what I thought they were."

Vernon sighed again; there was not much he could do about it anyway. He no longer had his nephew as a bargaining tool. He led the unwelcome visitors into a sitting room calling for his wife to join them.

"I should have known you were one of them," said Petunia to Mrs Figg when she entered the room. "Why else would you agree to babysit the boy?" Vernon shot her a warning look; aggravating their nephew's friends was not a good idea.

The man with the long beard introduced himself as Albus Dumbledore and that his companions were Mrs Figg who they already knew, the wizards from the morning were David and Remus Lupin, although they did not look like brothers, and the last member of the group was Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Mr and Mrs Dursley please tell us what happened to make us believe you were dead and how you ended up here in Majorca?"

It was clear his wife was not going to speak so Vernon told them the story. "Before the boy returned from school for the summer you sent us that letter. So we knew the man who'd murdered his parents was going to come after him. We never wanted to get involved in your world and then we had a murderer after us. Then I met this man at work who said he could solve our problem. He'd take the boy away and give us the money to leave England and start a new life, sort of compensation for taking care of the boy for all those years.

"So we made a deal. He gave us some books to put in the boy's bedroom and told us to pack up the boy's things and give them to him and then drug the boy to make him more amenable. They sent someone to pick him up. The boy called the man 'Professor,' so I think he thought it was one of his teachers. We were given passports for our new identities and the details of the bank account with the money in it. We left, came here and bought the house and lived here happily until today when those two showed up."

"So knowing that your nephew was in danger you sold him to the people who wanted him dead?" asked Remus appalled.

"Well," said Vernon shifting uncomfortably, "the person I met might have been one of you finally taking responsibility for him." The looks on their faces showed that they were not buying that he had believed this.

"You thought one of us would ask you to drug him?" asked Kingsley.

"The man said that it was just to help the boy so that he didn't feel distraught by the idea of leaving all his family behind. He said the boy was not going to be killed," said Vernon defensively. "He said they were going to lock him up somewhere to keep him safe. You told us to keep him safe."

"Did he tell you anything else about what was going to happen to him?" asked Albus.

Vernon and Petunia thought about it. Finally Vernon said, "He said the place they had for the boy was on an island, so it would be harder for anyone to get to him I suppose, and that the people who would look after him were very friendly."

"Could you tell us how you know David?" asked Kingsley gesturing towards the man, only to find that he was no longer there. "Where'd he go?"

"I expect he'll be back," said Albus. "Mr and Mrs Dursley could you tell us how you know the man who was sitting there?"

It was Petunia who answered this time. "We met him a few months ago; he claimed we had won a new security system in a draw which was part of his company's advertisement campaign. He installed the system and showed us how to use it and talked to us about security. He turned up again today when the people in masks were trying to get in to the house. We didn't know until today that he was one of you."

"Kingsley if you would?" asked Albus. Kingsley explained to the Dursleys that they needed to make sure that they were who they said they were and had not had their memories changed or anything. Their protests were vocal but after it was pointed out that they did not really have a choice they gave in. As Kingsley was finishing his spells David walked back in. He sat where he had been sitting before and ignored the questioning look Remus sent him.

A little while later having got as much information as they could out of the Dursleys the group portkeyed back to Hogwarts, except for David who apparated claiming he disliked portkeys. David did not apparate directly into Hogwarts since that would show that it was possible; instead he walked up from the edge of the wards. When he arrived in Albus's office everyone was waiting for him, discussing the implication of the Dursleys being alive.

"David," said Albus as soon as he was seated, "we need to know how you found out about the Dursleys and what exactly you have been doing with them."

David had been thinking about what to tell them during his walk through the castle. This conversation was going to be tricky and he needed all his wits about him. "I found out pretty much by accident that they were alive," he started, "and I came to the conclusion that they could be in danger and so took steps to protect them."

"Why didn't you inform anyone about the Dursleys?"

"When Harry was on trial there were several people who were very keen that he was convicted. I believed that those people would want to get rid of the Dursleys. Now that I know what they actually did though I no longer have any wish to protect them, beyond using them to clear Harry's name. They are just as guilty of sending an innocent to Azkaban as certain other people are."

"Harry was in Azkaban?" asked Remus shocked. "You told me he went to St Mungo's Albus!"

"Yes, Harry was in Azkaban," confirmed Kingsley, "And I want to know how you knew that David, that information is restricted."

"I would rather not incriminate my source," said David as though the matter were of little importance. "He believed he was talking to Harry's ghost when he mentioned it."

"You believe Harry was innocent then," said Albus moving the subject on before Remus could lay into him for lying. Neither he nor Kingsley was satisfied by David's answer but he appeared truthful, and if Harry was innocent the truth would come out at some point anyway. "Is there anything else you know about Harry that we should be looking in to?"

"I would bet his 'Dark Mark' was a muggle tattoo, which whoever buried his body should have realised since had it been the 'Dark Mark' it would have faded after Voldemort's 'death.'"

"I've been seeing his arm in my dreams for months trying to work out the significance. You're right, it was still as dark as ever," said Albus.

"Well that's all I can think of; although if you come up with a specific question I can try to help."

David was not very surprised to find Remus following him as he left Albus's office. "It's a lot to take in isn't it? I never believed them capable of selling him out like that." he asked wearily.

"You couldn't have known. You're involved with the Dursleys and with Sirius, so what I want to know is why you befriended me, why you got me this job, is that all because of Harry?"

David appeared a bit taken aback. "It was Fawkes who told me to visit the muggle library and a school friend of yours, James Potter insisted that I get to know you. I think he was trying to set us up."

"You never said you knew James. And he certainly never mentioned you."

"What would you have had me say? Hello, a friend of yours who has been dead for years wanted me to marry you? How d'you think you would have reacted?"

"I don't know, but since it's you I hope I would have asked you out, perhaps kissed you?" he suited the action to the words spinning David round and pressing their lips together. Remus was not sure what had come into him to give him the courage to do that, but he instantly regretted it when David froze against him. He felt himself being thrown against the wall of the corridor and his vision clouded.

The sound made when Remus hit the wall echoed down the corridor and soon running footsteps could be heard. As Severus and Minerva came into view David came to his senses and realised what he had done. Minerva drew her wand and stunned David. 


	12. Initiation

11.Initiation

"Albus what happened wasn't David's fault."

"Remus, I understand you are fond of David and want to protect him, but if he is a danger to our students I need to know."

"Albus, I assure you David's presence is not putting them in danger. I don't completely understand what happened but it was my fault not his."

"Perhaps you could tell me what took place?"

"We were talking; something he said made me think that he was attracted to me so I grabbed him and kissed him. I don't know what came over me, but he froze and then I hit the wall. So it was self defence due to sexual harassment and David isn't a danger to the students."

"That seems a somewhat severe reaction. Do you realise that David may well not want to work with you after what happened?"

"I'm hoping to persuade him."

"I might be able to help with that, it appears that a friend of yours persuaded Kingsley to slip a courage potion into your tea, which would explain why you acted, if I may say so, out of character?"

David woke to find himself in bed in the hospital wing with Remus sitting beside him. "Professor Lupin? How did I get here?" he asked.

"You have every right to be angry with me David, but I would prefer you to still call me Remus."

The man on the bed blinked and shook his head trying to clear it so he could think properly. "Why would I be angry with you? You've always been very kind to me. What did I do to end up in here?"

"What do you remember?"

"Nothing that makes any sense of why I would be here. Could you tell me what happened?"

"Well you can't have lost much memory if you know who I am and where you are. You only moved into the castle two weeks ago."

David looked completely perplexed by this. "I think it's all just a bit hazy," he said cautiously. "I do know who you are and where I am, but I don't remember anything about being at Hogwarts for the past two weeks, particularly what happened so that I got here. Perhaps you could at least tell me my name?"

"Your name's David, I'm afraid I don't know your surname. You're at Hogwarts because you and I are job sharing the DADA post. You weren't too keen on the idea when Albus first asked you but after we discovered that one of the students had tried to kill Hermione Granger you agreed."

"So Hermione's also a professor? What does she teach?"

"No, Hermione's a student, seventh year, although she will be a teaching apprentice this year. Do you remember who she is then?"

David paused. There was something very strange going on. "Yes," he said thoughtfully. "Hermione's a muggleborn witch, her parents are dentists, and she's in Gryffindor and best friends with Ron Weasley."

"Well you seem to remember her well; do you remember healing her after a hex made her fall from her broom?"

"No. Remus I am feeling incredibly confused by all this. I think I'm missing a lot of memory; or this in just a bad dream. Is there any way I can try to get it back?"

"I expect Poppy will know. Albus went to get her after he revived you."

Remus refused to tell David anything about himself since it could give him false memories and David was too wary of what was going on to want to tell Remus anything he could remember, so they waited in silence. Luckily it was not long before Poppy and Albus returned.

"It is possible that being stunned caused your confusion, particularly if you were having some kind of flashback when it happened which from what I've heard seems likely," diagnosed Poppy when Remus explained that David recognised them and Hogwarts but did not know why he was there. "There is a potion that can help. I'll ask Severus to make some for you. In the mean time I want to keep you here."

A few hours later after a very boring stay in the hospital wing with Remus who was under observation for concussion, Severus and Albus delivered the proposed remedy. David looked doubtfully at the cyan potion she was offering him. He sniffed it cautiously and a look of recognition crossed his face. "I remember brewing this once, I was thinking about my father…" He trailed off looking horrified and then resolved. He downed the potion. "I really hope what I'm remembering is just some twisted joke," he muttered.

"Can you remember what happened before Minerva stunned you?" asked Albus.

"No."

"I will wait to discuss the incident with you until you regain your memories," said Albus. "I hope you feel more like yourself soon." The nurse and visitors left.

"From what little you've told me about your past I've gathered that some of it was quite traumatic," said Remus. "If you would like to talk about anything I'll be here."

"I think right at the moment all I have is nonsense," replied David slightly forlornly. "I refuse to entertain the possibility of Snape being my father. It's ludicrous. But I am getting more memories. Give me a little while and hopefully they will have all slotted into the right places."

Remus laughed softly, "I don't think there's much chance of that being true so don't worry about it."

David's memories came back to him in dribs and drabs over the day leaving him very confused. When he woke up the next morning they were back in place and he realised with a groan that he had told Remus that Severus was his father. Hopefully Remus had not believed him, after all, David was meant to be as old if not older than Severus. David's returned memories were followed by an uncomfortable chat with Albus and Remus about what had caused him to attack Remus. David was evasive and would only tell them that since he had been a recluse for a while he was not used to physical contact. He reminded them that he had never shaken anyone by the hand when they had been introduced and he had declined to spar physically with Remus. He also pointed out that his discomfort was unlikely to cause any of the students problems since none of them were likely to hit him.

"I think since both of you seem agreeable and no permanent harm was done we can put the matter to rest," summed up Albus. "Although I would ask you, David, to take steps to combat your discomfort. I believe your behaviour is caused by something traumatic you aren't mentioning. Would talking to someone about your experiences help?"

"You're right that I have had some traumatic experiences," said David resignedly, "but I have already spent a long time talking to some highly qualified people about most of them and have healed as best I can. The problem simply is that I am unused to human physical contact because I have been without it since those events happened. So while intellectually I have come to terms with what happened to me, I still find physical contact threatening and react accordingly."

"I think it would be a good idea if you were to practice sparring. You need to get accustomed to defending yourself in proportion to the manner in which you are attacked and that would help," suggested Albus.

"I'll consider it."

The day before term began all the teachers were back in residence. Albus sombrely announced at breakfast that Diana, Princess of Wales had been killed in a car crash in France during the early hours of the morning. The Queen and her heir were the only member of the royal family who were aware of the Wizarding World, although there was speculation that she would be introducing her grandson HRH Prince William of Wales to it in the near future. Thus the Princess of Wales was not a figure in the Wizarding World but she was recognised as a key member of muggle Britain. The wizarding section of the royal protection service would be involved in the investigation into her death and the arrangements for the funeral. There would be many senior figures in the Wizarding World invited to attend.

Albus mentioned that one of the new muggleborn students had been a chorister and could be recalled for the funeral and that he himself would most likely be attending. David knew that he and Severus would be expected to be present as well. He looked questioningly at his father who inclined his head slightly.

"I expect I'll be needed there in some capacity," David told Remus vaguely. "I may be asked to visit the accident scene as well. Can you cover my classes?"

Remus, and all the others who heard this, was astonished; David was not a public figure, how was he connected to the monarchy? "Certainly," said Remus after a few moments. "How soon will you know dates?"

"Within the next couple of days I expect," said David. "There's always a plan in the drawer for this kind of situation. All we're waiting for is the secretary to find it." He turned to his father, "Severus, if I am asked to do what I expect to be asked then I may need your help, will you be able to get to the funeral?"

"Albus?" asked Severus.

"If you are invited I'm sure we can find someone to cover your classes," Albus assured him. "Or you could just give the students some time off!" he added with a smile.

The teachers all gathered in the staff room after lunch. General beginning of term business of timetables and duty rosters were handled. Albus informed the staff that Hogwarts would be hosting a Yule Ball for the upper two years with students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang also invited in the spirit of building interschool relations. The Triwizard Tournament of three years previously was still a sore point but the Ministry had decided that a safer event to promote harmony would be a good idea. Albus wanted volunteers to chaperone the event. David thanked his insistence that his contract did not require him to be in residence during the holidays. Albus could not force him to dance. 

Albus announced that Lucius Malfoy had lost his governorship to the approval of the whole staff. His further announcement that Sirius Black would be joining the board of governors in his place since the seat was in the gift of the Crimson House had a less enthusiastic reception. Most of the staff could remember teaching (or being at school with) the infamous Sirius Black and even the knowledge that he could only take up the posting if he were found innocent did not give them much comfort. David added to their unease by mentioning the 'prank Snape' proposal and causing said teacher to start composing the lecture he would give his son later in the evening. 

The subject of magical repression was introduced hurriedly and David explained that he was working on a quicker method of diagnosis which he hoped to have completed within a few more weeks. Albus confirmed that David was going to be travelling on the Hogwarts express in case there were any problems. At the mention of Kings Cross Remus looked up thoughtfully.

"If the muggles I worked with earlier this year are any indication, then it is probable that muggles have been converging on London ever since the announcement this morning," he said. "Kings Cross is a major through point and with the increased number of muggle travellers it could be chaotic tomorrow. Her body's not lying in state yet, but I remember what happened in 1965 with Churchill's funeral. People will want to get there early."

"David, I'll instruct the driver to wait for your signal before leaving the station," said Albus. "It would be better that the train was delayed than half our students were left behind. We can hope that our students have heard the news and realised that there could be a problem."

David did not like the way everyone started looking towards him and his suspicions were confirmed when Albus announced, "I believe we have an initiation to perform."

"David, as you did not attend here as a student you have not been sorted into one of our houses," explained Albus. "The induction ritual is specific to each house so it is necessary for you to be sorted."

"I was hoping for a chat with Alph one of these days," said David as Albus placed the hat on his head. "I'm afraid this might take some time."

David predicted correctly; he spent over five minutes talking silently to the hat while the rest of the staff fidgeted since it was traditional not to talk during a sorting. Eventually the hat called out "Gryffindor."

"Thank you Alph," said David.

"Alph?" sneered Severus.

"Yes Alph or rather Alpha, Godric called Alph 'Alph' because he was his favourite hat. The Alpha hat so to speak."

The staff apart from Albus looked a bit shocked at this revelation; none of them had considered the possibility that the sorting hat had a name. "David, the ritual is voluntary, I am unable to tell you what the ritual consists of, but are you willing to go through with it none the less?"

"Certainly Albus," said David.

The headmaster handed his newest teacher a potion to drink. David sniffed it and did not recognise it but after an encouraging look from Severus he decided to drink it. Once he had finished he became quickly disorientated and so could not defend himself when Albus spelled him unconscious.

While David was unaware of his surroundings Fillius levitated him into a chair in the centre of the circle and Albus cast charms on Minerva to give her the guise of the founder of Gryffindor house, Godric Gryffindor. She stepped in front of David and created a bubble around the two of them so that the rest of the staff could see them but they could not see out. Then she revived David. His reaction completely surprised everyone present.

"Grandfather Godric!" exclaimed David rising unsteadily out of his chair to greet the image of Godric. Minerva instinctively caught his arm before he could fall. A look of shock crossed David's face before being replaced by resignation. "He killed me didn't he?" he asked as he engulfed Minerva in a hug. "Oh Grandfather I've failed you. After you spent all that time teaching me I was still unable to do anything right. It is wrong of me to feel relieved though, now it's over?"

He broke away from Minerva and looked her in the eyes. "You thought I'd do better," he stated misreading the cause of her surprised expression. "You're right, I shouldn't have been caught. Uncle Salazar told me I had to learn to lie but I wasn't comfortable with it. I only lied by omission. Though I did think I'd done it well enough that they wouldn't work out the truth. At least Sirius should have his trial. I gambled that…"

"David stop!" ordered Minerva. "It is not fair of us to pry into your personal affairs like this. You're not dead and I'm not really your grandfather."

David looked horrified. He slumped back into his chair and hid his head in his hands. "This is part of the ritual isn't it?" he muttered.

"Perhaps we should start again?" offered Minerva.

"Actually I don't think I could cope with talking to someone with that face who doesn't remember me. Could we end this charade?"

Minerva nodded and removed the bubble so that the rest of the staff were once again visible. Albus returned her to her normal appearance and handed David another potion.

"The potion you drank made you disorientated and susceptible to suggestion so that you would believe what you were presented with. The idea was for new teachers to meet the founder of their house. This potion is the antidote."

David drank it swiftly. "Thank you, I get the impression you all heard what I said?" he asked looking round.

It was Severus who answered, "Yes we all heard you."

"Well since you weren't meant to, could I ask that you pretend you didn't?"

"I'm sorry David but that is not possible. Some of what you said disturbs me greatly, I need to know more," said Albus. "I have given you a great deal of leeway as to telling me about your past, but now I must insist on some answers or ask you to leave the school."

"You know I can't leave after what happened to Hermione," responded David. He thought for a moment, "Can I suggest a compromise? Severus knows me better than anyone else. If he was willing to vouch for me would that be enough?"

"Severus?" asked Albus

"I trust David," Severus said simply. "He has the wellbeing of the students at heart."

"Very well," agreed Dumbledore. 


	13. Professor David

12.Professor David

David had initially volunteered for train duty when the other teachers encouraged him by saying riding the train was all part of the Hogwarts experience. When he arrived in the crowded station he began to seriously regret his decision. He did not like crowds, particularly when they were so close together than jostling was unavoidable. He met the Grangers and covertly ensured that Hermione arrived safely on the platform, allowing himself to also escape to the platform. He said hello to Molly and Arthur who were seeing off Ron and Ginny and also to Mrs Longbottom.

As it was it appeared that most of the students with muggle backgrounds had realised that there would be difficulties getting to the station and had allowed more time. The older students had been able to apparate and a sensible witch from the Ministry had organised some Ministry cars, which could jump traffic jams, to round up the younger purebloods and get them there on time. So despite Remus's misgivings the Hogwarts express departed at precisely eleven o'clock as always.

Since Hermione and her friends were aware that he was there to protect them it was easy to ensure that they all ended up in the same compartment, after the prefects had had their meeting. Their conversation was a bit stilted as was to be expected for a group of teenagers and their teacher so David decided to put Salazar's coaching to the test and challenged Ron to a game of chess. The game lasted the rest of the morning and was finally won by David.

"I have had the benefit of an excellent tutor but you nearly beat me," said David. "Well done."

"I really enjoyed it," said Ron. "I thought I had you until seven moves from the end when you moved your knight instead of your bishop and I realised I had your entire strategy wrong."

"I realise you've got your NEWTs this year, but perhaps we could play again some time? I have been playing against some of the other teachers but I think you would provide more of a challenge. But for now I think it's high time for lunch."

"Yes," said Hermione, "and since you didn't answer when we told you the food trolley was here your going to have to eat what your mother packed for you Ron."

"Don't worry Ron, I'll save you from corned beef, you can have some of my lunch," said David.

"Thanks," said Ron eagerly.

It appeared that Hermione had been anxiously awaiting the end of their chess game so that she could quiz David on what he would be teaching them that year. He took him a while to eat his lunch since she had finished hers and was firing questions at him. He deferred to Neville to explain about the meditation classes and was pleased with the young man's grasp of the subject. 

Part way through the afternoon Draco Malfoy turned up at the door. David resigned himself to witnesses the clash of trio and Malfoy that took place on every train journey he could remember. He was astonished when Malfoy behaved civilly and the Gryffindors were equally civil in return. One could almost say they were friendly. Some things had definitely changed in his absence. Malfoy did not even comment on his lack of wizarding attire.

As they were drawing near Hogwarts the students pulled on their robes. Hermione looked askance at David who showed no sign of changing out of his very muggle combat trousers and t-shirt.

"Not to worry Hermione," he said with a grin, "Professor McGonagall has already given me a lecture on appropriate clothing, but I'm putting off wearing robes as long as possible, that and remembering to call you Miss Granger. I'll be correctly dressed at the feast. Now there's something I want you and Ron to promise me."

"That we'll be good and not go after Parkinson?" asked Ron sarcastically.

"Actually no, though that would be a good idea. You two have a reputation for trying to solve mysteries around Hogwarts. I know your track record with DADA teachers so I expect you don't trust me and you will try to find out what you can about me." Both students looked sheepish. "There is no point in me telling you not to, but what I want you to promise me is that if you find anything that you're surprised by or not sure about please come to speak to me about it first." They appeared about to protest. "You can write yourself messages so that I can't oblivate you and tell other people that you are going to see me or whatever precautions you want, but there is a good reason why people don't know much about me. I can't help it if you do find out but I'd rather if you did that you knew the whole story rather than jump to conclusions."

"Why don't you just tell us then?" asked Ron, but it was a curious not cheeky question.

"I don't really want you to know, at least not yet. I would prefer it if you didn't pry into it, but as I've said there is not much point asking that of you. So will you promise?"

Ron appeared to want to argue, but Hermione stepped in. "Yes I promise." She nudged Ron who grudgingly promised too. David thanked them and left the compartment.

"Why d'you give in so easily?" asked Ron once they were alone.

"Oh Ron, it's obvious that David wants us to figure out what is going on. He's essentially giving us his permission to do so; he just wants to make sure that we don't say anything to anyone that causes him problems."

Ron just gaped at her. "Oh come on Ron. We're going to miss the sorting."

As they entered the great hall Hermione caught sight of David on the top table and whispered to Ron, "Well there's our first mystery; how did he get here before us and manage to change into his robes too." Ron just shrugged. By the next day Hermione would have a list of all the things they knew about the new professor anyway.

The students sat down and Professor McGonagall led the first years in to be sorted. The sorting hat was placed on a stool and began its song. As usual the hat described the four houses but then went tell everyone to make friends and stick by them and to mend the rifts between the houses. Dumbledore made the beginning of term speech reminding the students as usual to stay away from the forbidden forest and introduced David as the new DADA teacher, surprising those who had met him by calling him Professor David rather than giving him a surname.

After the feast the prefects led the first years up to their new common rooms while the staff moved to the staff room for the ritual induction of the new head boy and girl.

The teachers assembled in the staff room where the chairs had been arranged in a circle, with a gap for the centaur Firenze. There was a knock on the door and Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger the new head boy and girl walked in.

"Good evening Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy," said Albus. "It is traditional for the new head boy and girl to be inducted by the staff at the beginning of the year. Details of what happens as part of this induction may not be passed on to anyone who might go through it in the future. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," they both answered.

"The initiation is in the form of a task which you are guided through by a member of staff. It is a custom not a requirement so you do not have to participate. It is customary for your head of house to guide you, however the choice is yours. Who do you trust to work with?"

"Professor Snape," said Draco without hesitation. Snape may be rumoured to have betrayed Voldemort but Draco realised that his best interests lay with continuing to be on good terms with the man. Things were easier if people found you agreeable, a lesson he thought his father needed to learn. Nobody suspected a nice person.

Hermione thought for a moment before firmly stating, "Professor David." David smiled at her.

"Miss Granger, this is Professor David's first year teaching here so he has not witnessed this ritual before, perhaps it would be better if you selected someone else?" asked Severus. "But far be it from me to object to your having inferior assistance."

"Professor David are you unwilling to guide me?"

"I am honoured to be your guide Miss Granger. I know what the ritual involves. As long as it has not changed within the last twenty years I should be adequately prepared."

"We still keep to the same traditions," Albus assured them. "Excellent, David, Minerva, please wait with Miss Granger outside while Mr Malfoy undertakes his task."

"I appreciate the faith you are putting in me Miss Granger," said David once they were outside. "Even if I suspect you had an ulterior motive for choosing me."

"You did save my life Professor," she said. "Professor McGonagall I apologize for not asking you to be my guide, since most DADA teachers are only here a short time I thought Professor David would welcome the opportunity."

"That's quite alright Miss Granger," Minerva assured her.

"How do you know about the ritual Professor David? Professor Snape didn't seem to think that you would."

"Well, I knew James Potter who was head boy. He was trying to persuade me to come and work at Hogwarts I think, so he told me lots of stories about his time here."

"Where did you go to school then?"

"I never finished school. I got most of my education from my mentor, Godric, and his friends."

"Mr Malfoy's finished now, we can go back in," said Minerva as the door swung open and Draco Malfoy and Professor Snape came out.

"That should have taken a lot longer," commented David softly to Minerva.

"I don't think Mr Malfoy's the trusting type," said Minerva.

David motioned Hermione to stand in the centre of the circle of chairs. He stood in front of her next to a box of miscellaneous items. The headmaster handed David a piece of parchment.

"Miss Granger," began David, "before you find out what your task is I can offer you some things which will help you. If at any point you think what I am offering will not help; just say so and you can get on with the task. It is up to you, but I hope that you will trust me when I tell you accepting everything on this list will help you. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," said Hermione.

David started by offering Hermione the sorting hat and then a length of rope, a bag, and a woolly hat, all of which she readily accepted. Then he offered to hold her wand for her and after a moment's hesitation she handed it over. He offered her an unnamed potion which she sniffed suspiciously but agreed to drink. She agreed to let him blindfold her. Then he asked if he could petrify her.

"How can I accomplish my task if I am petrified?"

"I can't answer that, but I ask you to trust me. Taking everything on this list will help you," said David, stressing the word everything. "Please trust me."

Hermione considered for a moment and then said. "Don't even ask me about the rest of the items, just give them to me. I trust you."

David grinned at her. "Excellent!" he said. He petrified Hermione, levitating her so that she would not fall to the ground, and then took back the hat, bag and rope, removed her blindfold and performed the countercurse. Handing her back her wand he winked at her and said, "Your task is to deliver the sorting hat to the headmaster." 

"Well Miss Granger it seems despite my reservations you indeed chose the right person to guide you," said Albus as she handed him the hat. "Well done."

Draco Malfoy and Severus returned and everyone sat down. "Congratulations Mr Malfoy, Miss Granger, you are now officially head boy and girl for this academic year. Mr Malfoy you scored four and Miss Granger scored a perfect thirteen. As you may have realised the object of the exercise was for you to demonstrate your trust in your guide to the extent of complying with each item on the list. I believe you would like to know Miss Granger that it has been seven years since the last perfect score. Now I must ask that neither of you reveal the nature of this initiation to anyone who is either a student or a prospective student of this school, even your current year mates since there have been cases where the head boy or girl has been replaced during the year." 


	14. Hermione's Accident

13.Hermione's Accident

Remus and David had decided to teach their classes together for the first week so as to help David who had not taught before. David was certainly glad he was not alone as the day progressed and he found that teaching was extremely tiring. Their third lesson of the day was with the overexcited Gryffindor first years who were extremely boisterous. They were teaching the older students how to detect whether a person was under the influence of a spell, but for the first years all they could do was to impress upon them the need to get their friends checked out if they started acting out of character. Hopefully they could catch Parkinson, or whoever was behind the earlier attack, red handed and put an end to the danger, but as Alastor Moody kept saying 'constant vigilance' was very important.

After supper Remus went looking for David. He had not had a chance to talk to him about the botched initiation and he wanted to find out what the 'grandfather' reference was all about. Unfortunately David was not to be found. If he was in his quarters he made no effort to answer the door. In the end Remus cast a spell on the door to alert him when it was opened. The alert sounded at shortly after ten o'clock. Remus stepped out into the corridor to go to call on David but changed his mind when he saw what had triggered the spell; Severus was walking down the hall from David's quarters towards his own.

"Off to see you 'friend?'" Severus insinuated. "He won't answer. I tired him out so he was fast asleep when I left." He stalked off leaving a stunned Remus wondering whether he had been seeing things or if Severus Snape had actually winked at him.

Neither David nor Severus gave any indication that they were anything other than colleagues over the next few days. Both publicly avoided each other as they had over the summer. Remus did not know what to make of this since he observed Severus leaving David's rooms on several occasions. Thinking back over the time since David had arrived he realised he could have been in Severus's company very often.

The general consensus of the student body was that their new DADA professors were a great improvement on their previous ones. Those that remembered Professor Lupin welcomed him back; even the Slytherins who distrusted him as a werewolf grudgingly admitted that he was a good and fair teacher. It helped that Draco Malfoy made his support for Lupin well known. Most of the students were ambivalent about Professor David until the third years had a lesson on vampires and discovered that he used what the muggle aware students referred to as a 'film' to show them images and sounds of vampires interacting. The students who had attended muggle primary schools were accustomed to educational films but it came as a shock to most of the purebloods. Professor David became very popular for his innovation. Watching films was so much nicer than reading books.

On the Wednesday Professor David went to France to visit the accident scene and conduct his own mini-investigation. The students who had DADA that day and had been looking forward to meeting their new teacher were very disappointed with his unexplained absence. David's investigation did not lead him to any conclusions. He conducted it with Lord Hapstaff as one of the duties of a zia house was to protect the monarchy and avenge their deaths when necessary. It was a custom grew from their roles in Roman times but it had become a formality in recent years. As it was neither of them knew enough about how muggle cars worked to be able to find anything useful, but the task had to be seen to be done. It did not turn out to be completely pointless since it gave the last two remaining ruling zias in Britain a change to meet and get to know each other. Hapstaff was highly impressed by Crimson's intelligence and magical prowess and Crimson noted that Hapstaff was well meaning but essentially lazy.

The state funeral for Diana, Princess of Wales, was scheduled for the 6th of September, the first Saturday of term. This made things much easier for Albus and David who had been invited to attend. Severus had declined after much thought since he did not want to be associated with the Crimson House at this stage. Albus had also managed to get an invitation for Minerva whom he was grooming to take over from him so that he could retire. As blasphemous as using a funeral to promote oneself was, that was the way things had been and probably always would be done among the rich, famous and powerful.

The Ministry arranged a car for Albus and Minerva but David declined their offer of transport. He left immediately after classes on Friday, not even staying for supper, to take part in the all night vigil over the princess's body along with Lord Hapstaff, the Bishop of London and the Sub-dean of the Chapels Royal. The next morning both zias were grateful for the potions which enabled them to stay awake for the funeral itself.

Neither Albus nor Minerva connected the curly haired young man they saw in the wizards' section with their colleague. The young man was expertly dressed as a muggle unlike many of the other wizards in the reception area who were being checked over by exasperated Ministry officials who were trying to make them presentable. Albus sighed slightly. Many people seemed to take it as a mark of pureblood pride that they could not pass as a muggle without assistance. Albus noted that the young man sat with Lord Hapstaff and wondered to Minerva whether he was one of Hapstaff's grandchildren, although he would have thought Hapstaff would have insisted he be educated at Hogwarts if he was.

After the ceremony in Westminster Abbey the princess's body was taken north by road, meanwhile her close family departed to catch the royal train for the same destination. The funeral guests were ushered into different reception rooms by a very efficient crew of stewards. Those who were purely muggle were in one and the magical guests were in another with the ruling statesmen who were aware of the two worlds able to move between the two. Now that the funeral was over the business of the day could begin, that after all was the real motivation that most of the guests had for being there.

David found himself a partially concealed seat and watched in disgust. The conversations which drifted towards him were about policies on goblin welfare and the need for greater ties between France's and Bolivia's wizarding communities, nothing was said of the tragedy that had brought caused the meeting. The only concession to the occasion was that everyone was still wearing muggle clothing. David knew that he should be joining in and looking out for the interests of Britain's wizarding population but he could not bring himself to do so. Hapstaff had been doing that for years and David was quite happy to let him continue a bit longer. For the present he could hide behind a façade of inexperience. It would mean people would write him off as a non-entity but having them underestimate him could be useful in the future in any case.

Albus was busy ensuring that Minerva was introduced to the right people, but being a noticing sort of person he saw the young man sitting by himself and realised he was close to tears. Albus discretely had a word with one of his ex-students who was serving drinks and suggested she might discretely check if the wizard was alright, under the guise of providing him with a drink.

"He was a bit upset," Ellen Cook confided quietly to her former headmaster about ten minutes later. "This was the first funeral he had been to, although he only has one relative left alive. His adoptive parents were killed in a car crash and since he never got to say good bye to them this affected him badly. I also think he's a bit shy and is terrified of having to talk to important people."

"Who is he?" asked Albus.

"He said his name was Scarlet, no wait a moment that wasn't it, Crimson, that was it," she replied. She looked at Albus in horror, "Oh Sir, you don't think he's Lord Crimson do you? And I just went up to him and talked like he was my little brother?"

"Yes I think so," said Albus. "Thank you for your help Ellen." Seeing that Minerva was deep in conversation with the delegate from China, Albus quietly excused himself and walked across the room.

David saw Albus coming towards him and pulled himself together. Ellen had found him a mild calming draft which had helped; apparently all the wizarding stewards were carrying them although he imagined not many people would have required one. At one time he believed it had been in vogue to need a potion to get over the emotions of the event since that showed that you really cared. David found the idea of such deception even worse than the uncaring attitudes he had observed. He stood up as it became obvious that Albus was coming to speak to him and not just walking in his general direction.

"Good afternoon, Professor," David said.

Albus noted the golden cat insignia embroidered on the teenager's jacket and the crimson trim to his tie. "Good afternoon my lord," he said in reply. "I have been wanting to thank you for your efforts to ensure Sirius Black had a trial."

"No thanks are required," David assured him. "The zia houses champion the cause of justice. I am embarrassed that he did not receive on before, I simply corrected that oversight. Unfortunately I do not believe it was an isolated incident. I am also particularly concerned by the practice of keeping prisoners in Azkaban while awaiting trial. Close proximity to dementors can have long reaching consequences even over as short a time as a week and at least some of those remanded will be proved innocent."

"I am in accord with your views," said Albus. "I will take them further and say that the Ministry's alliance with the dementors troubles me greatly."

"I agree that their alliance is worrisome. The dementors would have rebelled and joined Voldemort had he not asked them to wait."

Albus looked at David appraisingly. The young man, who looked nearer thirteen than seventeen, appeared well informed and yet still used Voldemort's name where most refused to utter it. He had thought it was only spoken among his own circle at his own suggestion. Lord Crimson also appeared to have his own sources of information. The request from Voldemort that the dementors wait had not been publicised. Fudge had disbelieved it and the only others who knew of it were the Death Eaters and Albus, through his spy. Albus wondered whether Voldemort had succeeded in his quest to have a zia lord under his control, although surely such a servant would refer to him as the Dark Lord.

David saw the trend in Albus's thoughts. "I am a zia lord," he assured him. "I am sworn to work in the best interests of the wizarding community, and I don't believe that lies in them being terrorized, tortured or killed, by either a dark lord or their own government. What happened to Sirius was not justice and I have dealt with that. What Voldemort has done and still plans to do is also unjust and I have plans in motion to destroy him." He spoke with quiet confidence not arrogance and Albus was impressed despite his earlier misgivings. "Discrimination based on disability or race is against the laws of muggle Britain and it should not be tolerated in wizarding Britain either."

There was no time for Albus to pursue the conversation since the stewards had been herding people away to take their seats for lunch and had reached their corner of the room. Being currently out of favour with the Ministry, Albus was not seated anywhere near Lord Crimson. He saw that the teenager scowled for a moment before masking his emotions when he was directed to a seat next to the Minister for Magic. It would appear that Fudge wanted to cultivate the new zia lord and that the zia himself already had his own opinion of Fudge.

Albus hoped to get a chance to talk to the young man again since he wanted to ask him where he was studying. His maternal family had all attended Hogwarts since the Middle Ages and he was surprised that the newest member had not. As it was the zia was caught up by various dignitaries and he did not get the chance. Albus was surprised that he did not see his DADA professor anywhere. When he questioned her, Minerva said she had not spotted him either, but she pointed out that he wore muggle clothing all summer and never actually specified whether he was a wizarding or muggle guest. He had been a recluse from the Wizarding World so it was possible that he had lived as a muggle for a while. Given his interest in defence it was plausible that he had been connected with the princess in a security capacity, particularly since he had been involved in the investigation into the crash. David's request for Severus's help also suggested he could be part of the staff rather than a guest.

As they were driven through London in a Ministry car towards a convenient floo point for their return to Hogwarts, Albus and Minerva compared notes on the day. They touched briefly on the actual funeral before discussing the business of the day. Minerva related that a Ministry official had hinted at her becoming headmistress sooner rather than later, showing that the efforts to remove Albus from all his public positions were still continuing. Albus took the news philosophically and commented that he would have been left off the guest list had they managed to take away his Order of Merlin (First Class) which entitled him to attend.

The professors in the know, Albus, Minerva, Severus, Remus and David, had kept a discrete eye on Hermione Granger and Pansy Parkinson since the beginning of term, but they had noticed nothing suspicious until the second Saturday of term. Gryffindor House held their quidditch team trials during the morning so Ron did not spend that time with his girlfriend. When he did not see her during lunch he assumed she had been working in the library and lost track of the time and so went to find her after he had eaten. A black cat followed him. Ron was unable to find Hermione in the library, the common room or any of her other favourite study corners. He had just finished checking the disused classroom they tended to practice spells in when he noticed that he was not alone.

"You can't find Hermione can you?" David asked him.

"No, I've tried everywhere I can think of."

"Don't you have a map which would help?"

"No, Harry had it la… wait, how do you know about the map?"

"I have my sources," said David mysteriously, "but they are obviously mistaken since I thought you should have inherited it. We'll have to find Hermione another way." He raised his wand and sent a stream of silver out as a message to the headmaster. "I have alerted the headmaster; now let's try to find her." He considered for a few moments. "Ron, do you love Hermione?"

Ron went pink. "What's that to do with anything?" he blustered. 

"Just a possible solution; I take it you do then?" Ron nodded. "Good, now I want you to close your eyes and concentrate on Hermione, picture her in your mind imagine you are trying to contact her telepathically. Hold that feeling, open your eyes and start walking in a random direction."

Ron did as he was told and found his feet leading him towards the staircases and then down to the first floor and along several corridors. They came to a halt outside a seldom used classroom. As they approached David had been stretching out his senses to find Hermione. He turned to Ron and sent him up to the hospital wing to prepare Madam Pomfrey, before entering the classroom and kneeling beside Hermione who was slumped against one of the walls. He sent a second message to the headmaster who apparated into the room.

"Albus?" called David as he cast a stasis charm over Hermione. "I think she was under the imperious curse. I don't think she'd do this herself." He gestured towards her bloody forearms. "I think she was fighting it."

"Can you make an echo?"

David shook his head. "I don't think the curse is still active, so no." He levitated Hermione onto the stretcher Albus conjured.

"Take her up to Poppy," ordered Albus. "I'll be there shortly."

David neared the hospital wing levitating the stretcher in front of him when he saw Ron Weasley running towards him.

"There's something wrong with Madam Pomfrey," he explained breathlessly. "She seems to be asleep at her desk but I can't wake her up."

"Right," said David. "It seems that I've changed my name to Poppy then. Is there anyone else in the hospital wing?"

"No."

David quickened his pace and soon arrived at his destination with Ron following in his wake. Once he had Hermione lying on one of the beds he sent messages to Albus and Severus who was the backup medic. He then made his way to Poppy's office and having received no reply to his call and knock he opened the door and walked in to find her as Ron described. He shook her shoulder to no reaction. Sighing he levitated her out of the room and onto one of the beds.

David was about to see what was wrong with Poppy when he was startled by a sob from Ron. "Hermione's not dead," he reassured the student. "She's currently in stasis which will give us seven more minutes before we have to heal her. I know what's wrong with her, but I don't know what's wrong with Madam Pomfrey so I need to check her over first."

Albus and Severus walked in as David was dissolving the glow he had formed around Poppy. "She's been drugged," he declared. "I'm not sure by what but I believe she will wake naturally. I could bring her out of it, but that would result in neither of us being of any use to Miss Granger at least for the next few hours. We only have three minutes before the stasis spell ends, so I assume you would like me to attend to Miss Granger? Could you witness her injuries for the investigation before I begin?"

Albus stepped towards the dying girl and performed some diagnostic spells noting that she was beyond the help of conventional healing, while Severus did the same for Poppy. Severus nodded to Albus indicating that David was right in his assessment and then repeated the process with the student so that he could also bear witness to her condition. Both were looking grave as David drew up a chair next to Hermione. He handed Severus a phial of green liquid.

"She is very weak so this healing will drain me. Once I have finished make sure that I drink that, you may have to assist me to do so," requested David. He hovered his hands above Hermione for the second time in three months and a muddy glow enveloped her body as David worked to pull her back from the brink of death.

Albus silently watched the pair while Severus returned to Poppy and attempted to work out exactly what she had been drugged with. He still had not found an answer when Albus called him back to David who was now sitting limply in his chair. Severus realised that David was on the verge of unconsciousness and poured the green potion down his throat. It was over a minute before he spoke.

"Hermione won't wake up for a while," he announced weakly. "It may be a few days."

"What about Poppy?" asked Severus. "I was unable to determine what she had ingested."

"The same I think. I detected no effects on her system other than forced sleep. I don't think we need to worry unless she is not awake by morning."

"Severus, will you rearrange your schedule and look after the hospital wing?" asked Albus, although it was not really a request. "Perhaps you could start by ensuring David gets some rest?"

David raised his head with great effort and looked Severus in the eye, "Severus…"

"David, I hardly think you're going to make it to your quarters without some assistance," said Severus derisively.

"Thank you," murmured David as Severus helped him stand up and then half carried him to the fireplace in Poppy's office and flooed with him to his rooms. "Thank you again for getting me out of there," said David as Severus helped him into bed. "I don't know what I would have done if I had woken up there. At least last time I did so I had lost my memory."

"I will inform Albus that you recover best when in familiar surroundings," said Severus. "And since it appears that I am currently in charge of the health of the inhabitants of Hogwarts I am ordering you to stay in bed until I give you permission to get up."

"Right at this moment I can't argue, but I'm sure I will tomorrow," murmured David half asleep. Severus cast a monitoring charm to alert him when David woke up and flooed back to the hospital wing to look after his other two patients.

David slept for nearly twenty-four hours. Shortly after he awoke Severus entered the room. He explained that as David predicted Poppy woke up without intervention later on Saturday evening. Once she found out what had happened she had told Albus that the sleeping draft had most likely been in the cup of tea she had drunk mid morning. She had left the tea on the desk in her office whilst she attended to a first year who had sprouted rabbit ears. Unfortunately the teachers had been unable to trace who had cursed the first year and hence who might have set up the incident. Hermione had yet to wake so they did not know her side of the story.

Severus handed David one of his revitalicorpus potions after which David had enough strength back to be able to get dressed and walk into his sitting room. Severus ordered some food for David and watched him as he ate.

"Albus, Minerva and I have been discussing ways to keep Miss Granger safe once she recovers. The best they can come up with would be a tracking device so that her location is always known, and then if she goes missing we can easily find her. Unfortunately as she is head-girl it would be difficult to restrict her movements to the extent of always having her accompanied by someone."

"I imagine you suggested she be replaced as head-girl!"

"I did not."

"What? The greasy git did not take the opportunity to suggest that a Gryffindor be demoted? You've gone soft!"

"I may not be your teacher any more, but I am your father so you still owe me your respect."

"Respect is earned," commented David quietly. "I don't know what the world's coming to; you are nice to Hermione and Draco Malfoy vocally supports Remus. Everyone's gone mad! 

"I'll have you know Miss Granger is one of my best students."

"She is the best you mean!"

"Very well," said Severus with a mock glare, "I admit; she's the best I've had for a long time. And you should give young Draco another chance. As he's got older he's shown that he's his own person not a carbon copy of his father. It's been very hard for him at home because of that. Lucius keeps up a united front in public but his relationship with his son in private has deteriorated. I've had Cissy contact me several times worried over the situation. Draco should have your support." 

"I still say a leopard can't change his spots," said David. "At least I doubt he would try if there was nothing in it for him, but if you insist I will try to ease up on him. But anyway I get the impression you have a different idea for helping Hermione?"

"Yes, although I never expected that I would say this, I think you should make her part of the Crimson Fellowship."

"Wow!"

"Don't deny you haven't been planning on inviting her at some stage anyway."

"I won't, but I've got to be careful. I can't just invite all the people who used to be close to Harry Potter, it would look suspicious."

"My thoughts were that we could make it appear that her talents had caught the attention of the Crimson Lord. Make the whole thing some kind of public ceremony."

"No. Hermione is an extremely clever witch. She would work out who I am; I have to keep her at arms length until I know how she will react to the truth. If things get worse I will consider it. Besides I bet Albus would try to use her to get the Crimson Lord to meet him and that could be disastrous."

"The public knowledge that Miss Granger is part of the Crimson Fellowship is likely to protect her, since any would be assassin would not want to make an enemy of the Crimson House, at least until they have the full support of the Dark Lord. She is an unprotected target as a muggle born witch. Whereas being associated with the Boy-Who-Lived put Miss Granger in danger, being associated with you now should keep her out of it, at least until the Dark Lord returns."

"I'm not convinced. No, I'll leave things as they are for now. Have you discussed this idea with Albus?"

"No, I wanted your reaction first. He is organising a tracking device for her to wear, but I worry that it will be easy for someone to locate and remove."

"Thanks. I'll see if I can come up with anything similar. And of course we could always marry her off to Ron; that would solidify their bond and be superior to the fellowship pendants. It wouldn't be the first time Hogwarts had had married students. I believe there is some ancient rule about them being given a goat by the faculty that could be kept on the quidditch pitch to keep the grass short." 


	15. A Sirius Trial

14.A Sirius Trial

The full moon was the next Tuesday so Remus was unavailable to teach until Thursday. Severus, who had the most experience of core healing, having been married to a Roger who had made a profession out of it, ordered David to refrain from using magic until Wednesday. This led to DADA lessons on theory rather than practical knowledge. There were a few mutterings of 'Umbridge' from some of the students but most felt sympathetic towards their teacher who was shuffling around the school with the aide of a walking stick. The rumour mill had him injured by one of Hagrid's pets or having wrestled the giant squid.

Hermione's absence had been noticed, but all anyone would say was that she had been taken ill and was expected to be back by the end of the week. The staff were on the look out for rumours of her supposed suicide attempt but whoever cursed her was too clever to start any. David put the hours of his enforced rest, since Severus had ordered him to stay in bed outside lessons, to good use by setting his mind to work on the magical repression diagnosis problem. At the weekly staff meeting that Friday he was able to announce that he had solved it.

"This," he said holding up a glass sphere the size of a tennis ball, "will show whether a person is suffering from magical repression or not. The person to be tested holds it in his hand and tries to make it glow red." An indigo light filled the ball. "The more blue the ball is the more magic the holder is repressing," he handed the ball to Remus who made it light up red, "however, if it is red then the holder is able to access all his magic."

The staff passed the ball around lighting it up and David was unsurprised to find that they all made it glow red. "I have tested it on Neville Longbottom and Tara MacDonald," said David as they did so. Tara MacDonald was a first year muggle born witch who had had great difficulty getting any spells to work so far. "It went blue for Miss MacDonald and purple for Mr Longbottom. I would like to test all the students, although I do not want the ones who don't get a red light to be looked down on because of it. That would be counter productive, so I don't think I can tell them why they are being tested."

"Why wasn't it red for you?" Sibyll Trelawney asked David tactlessly.

"I am still unable to access all my magic," said David quietly. "I can access a lot more than I could as a child, but I doubt I will ever be able to use it all. Despite my own failure I know a lot about combating magical repression so I can still help these students."

"I will announce that you are going to be teaching a select inter-year group a new subject," said Albus preventing further discussion. "You can test those who take DADA during their next lessons and for those in the upper years who do not we can arrange a time for them to visit you."

The trial of Sirius Black took place during the next week. David visited Sirius before it started to present him with a set of robes which indicated his position as a member of the Crimson Fellowship for him to wear during the trial. David covered classes while Remus went to give evidence.

"How'd it go?" David asked Remus that evening at supper.

"Not so good. I told them about what happened when I met Sirius and Peter the summer after Sirius escaped. Hermione and Ron gave evidence about that night too. I believe Albus has got some of the Death Eaters who are in Azkaban to testify as to Peter being alive too. The problem is the prosecution is insinuating that just because Peter is alive and a Death Eater does not mean that Sirius isn't one. They have Sirius's statement under veritaserum that he was not and did not betray James and Lily but as you know veritaserum is not counted as conclusive. The prosecution are saying that Sirius's mental state after twelve years in Azkaban makes his testimony unreliable."

"Surely we can get a mediwizard to make an assessment of his mental state?"

"It's been done, but Sirius's incarceration did take its toll and his time on the run hasn't helped. Albus said that the mediwizard who examined Sirius admitted that it is possible that he has convinced himself of a version of events different to what actually happened."

"Even so, they should accept the evidence of Lily's journal so all is not lost."

"All of the Potters' papers were destroyed with their house."

"All the ones they had in the house yes," agreed David. "But Lily used her own version of the gemini charm to enable her to write her research papers in the house but have them stored in the linked books in their Gringotts vault. She set it up so that she could still be of use to the Order whilst in hiding. She could do her research and if anything happened to her all her notes would be safe and if anyone did get into the house they would not find them. Sirius inherited her papers on her death, including her journal."

"I didn't know that. Sirius didn't mention it either."

"I think Sirius knew, but as you said Azkaban took its toll and he might have forgotten that detail. He has hardly been able to visit Gringotts and access his vault to examine his inheritance."

"Do you think Lily's journal would contain information on who their secret keeper was?"

"Definitely, along with their reasons for choosing Peter and her own thoughts on the matter."

"Once we've finished eating we're going to see Albus to tell him about this. Hopefully it's not too late to submit new evidence."

"I hope so too, it did not occur to me that Sirius would not have mentioned the journal. I assumed he was in hiding because he did not believe he would get a trial, not because he did not have the evidence to exonerate himself."

After the meal David and Remus joined Albus in his office and David explained about the existence of Lily's journal and its likely contents.

"How do you know about it?" Albus asked David.

"I knew the Potters," claimed David. "It was James who taught me to be an animagus and Lily tutored me in charms. She told me about her version of the gemini charm when she was explaining how to modify spells."

"Will the journal help?" asked Remus.

"Possibly," said Albus, "It will be difficult to verify that it was written by Lily since it was done remotely but not impossible. That said, Lily was a very shrewd witch, I would not be surprised if she took measures to ensure that her journal could be authenticated in the event that it was needed for just this situation. The Potters prepared for the possibility of their death to the extent of ensuring that their son would have a fund to see him through school so they probably envisaged the situation we find ourselves in where Sirius needs to prove he wasn't their secret keeper. I had better go and get Sirius's permission to access his vault and retrieve the journal. Is there any other information that you know that could be of use David?"

"I believe along with the journal there are some photo albums but since they were illegal animagi I doubt there are any incriminating pictures of Peter changing into his animal form. Thinking about it, it is probable that Lily's journal will only be readable by Sirius and possibly Remus and me. Will that be a problem?"

"Since doubts are being cast on Sirius's testimony due to his mental state, and Remus's due to his physical state, I think we might need you to testify as to the journal's contents. Hopefully it will not just be Sirius who can read it."

"I am willing to do so, but I have no credentials. Will it be enough? I would have thought the argument that since the Potters appointed Sirius as Harry's guardian they knew that their death could not be from his betrayal, was conclusive. Surely had Sirius been their secret keeper they would have appointed a different guardian. Also there is no evidence that Sirius was their secret keeper. I believe you yourself informed the Ministry that he was when he was originally arrested, but you were reporting hearsay. You did not witness the charm being performed, nor did Sirius personally tell you the Potters' location. So your original statement is not valid."

"That makes a lot of sense," mused Remus. "We can show that they were prepared for Harry to outlive them and hence they were prepared for the possibility of being betrayed by their secret keeper therefore as Harry's guardian it couldn't have been Sirius."

Albus's eyes were twinkling merrily. "I should have spotted that," he complained. "I think I am becoming slow in my old age." Remus hastily assured him that was not the case.

"David, in the hope that you can read the journal and since it would be best not to let Sirius be accused of tampering with the evidence by giving it to him, would you accompany me to retrieve it and then to the Ministry tomorrow?"

"Certainly." David was pleased with the turn of events despite not wanting to give evidence personally. While he had expected Sirius to know of the journal and had not kept quiet on purpose, he had only realised during their conversation that the journal probably explained Harry's true heritage which he definitely did not want revealed at this time. Hopefully the journal would still be readable to him despite the fact that his adoption charms had worn off. If not he would have to allow Sirius to read it and warn him not to read out anything irrelevant to the trial.

Sirius was surprised when Albus, who was acting as his senior defence witness since he no longer held a position in the Wizengamot anyway, visited him and requested he sign a form allowing Albus to access his vault. When he was told about the journal it brought back a faint memory, enough for him to readily agree to Albus's request. Albus's companion who explained the existence of the journal was simply introduced as David and after they left Sirius was left to wonder whether he was the same David who had arranged for the trial.

The trial resumed the next day with Albus introducing the journal as new evidence. He claimed since the journal was charmed not to open to most people he was unable to give it to the court to examine, but instead would use a witness to present the information it contained. Cornelius Fudge who was presiding, he had pushed through a change in the law a couple of years previously to enable him to do so, grumbled but was forced to accept this method; it was established procedure when dealing with privacy charmed writings.

First Albus introduced a charms expert to witness the spells that were present on the journal. The expert testified that the journal had been keyed to open to only four people. He had managed to identify two of them as Sirius Black and David and suggested that the other two were probably James and Lily Potter. He went on to explain that the journal had once been set to allow three other people access, but those permissions had been revoked in April, August and then October 1981. The expert gave his opinion that Mrs Potter had been both an expert in charms and extremely thorough. The prosecution did not dispute any of the evidence but did check whether the expert could determine that the journal had actually been written and charmed by Lily Potter; which he could. Then Albus thanked the expert and turned to David.

David gave his name simply as 'David.' Unsurprisingly Fudge protested.

"Section twelve of the code of court etiquette requires witnesses to inform the court of 'the name by which they are most widely known," David reminded the Minister. "While this is normally taken to be the name on the witness's birth certificate, in my case 'David' is the name under which I have been published in 'Beastly Advances' which is an international journal. I submit that entitles me to ask the court to call me simply 'David."

Fudge looked about to concede the point, it was hardly important after all, but his assistant Percy Weasley handed him a hastily scribbled note which prompted him to continue the argument with the prize of showing this upstart who was in charge. "According to Bagnold amendment seventeen the Chief Warlock is entitled to insist on full disclosure on any given subject."

"Ah yes," David agreed looking up at the purple robed Chief Warlock, "Do you require full disclosure? It might take a while; I have been called many names at different points during my existence and I will have to ask the court's indulgence since stating the majority of them could land me in contempt of court. I was surprised by the definition of several of them when I looked them up, in my innocent youth I had not imagined such methods of fornication were possible let alone intended to be a participant in the manner the names implied."

"I think 'David' will be sufficient," said the Chief Warlock glaring at Fudge who in turn glared at Percy.

"Mr David," said Fudge distastefully. "Why did Mrs Potter include you on the list of people able to access the journal?"

"The journal was intended to provide information relative to Harry, and so the people she thought would be an influence in his life, particularly if he were orphaned, were given access to the journal."

"Do you know why the additional three access permissions were revoked or who they were for?" asked Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

"Yes, I have searched the text in anticipation of your question. Remus Lupin lost access in August 1981 which was when it was rumoured that he had become a Death Eater. I hasten to add that he hadn't. Heather Grover was removed after her murder. And Peter Pettigrew was removed the day before the fidelius charm was performed which was the last day the journal was physically accessed. Which to my mind means…"

"Objection; this is speculation," declared Fudge.

"David, as the person who knew of the existence of the journal is the expert on it; thus his thoughts on the subject are similar to the professional opinion of an expert witness," countered Albus.

"Actually I don't need to speculate," interrupted David as he flipped through the journal "As I said I was drawing my answers from the journal; Lily explained Peter's removal herself." He waved his wand at the selected page.

"James and I visited Diagon Alley for the last time today before going into hiding. I went to our vault and changed the spells on my journal to prevent Peter from accessing it since if we die after tomorrow he will have betrayed us," read a disembodied voice.

"I trust that would be sufficient?" asked David.

"Thank you Mr David," said Bones, "would you read to the court the entry from the night the fidelius charm was performed?"

"Certainly," agreed David turning over the page. "Here it is." He waved his wand at the book.

"Peter came over this evening and we performed the fidelius charm. He was very nervous and it's a good thing that I was doing the actual charm and he just had to stand there and formally agree to conceal our location because charms are definitely not Peter's strong point. Afterwards he wrote out our address for Albus and Sirius and went to give the pieces of parchment to Sirius so that he could deliver Albus's and keep up the appearance that Sirius is our secret keeper. It's not that we don't trust Albus, but there is a spy in the Order and we need to make sure that everyone believes that it is Sirius who is hiding us."

While he was speaking Fudge received a memo, "Mr David is it true that you are not a British national?" he asked.

"I fail to see how that is relevant," objected Albus.

"Merely attempting to establish the reliability of the witness," defended Fudge. "As a foreigner he might have a hidden agenda and wish to disrupt this country by setting a murderer on the population. He refuses to tell the court his surname."

"That is preposterous," protested David. "And extremely xenophobic. Were you intending to declare a war or will you retract your remarks?"

Fudge spluttered; this was not the answer he wanted. While Fudge blustered Albus quietly took charge.

"We have presented to the court witnesses to Peter Pettigrew's admission of being the Potters' secret keeper and causing the explosion that killed twelve people in 1981 and to him being alive afterwards. Now you have also heard that Pettigrew was the Potters' secret keeper from Lily Potter's own words. I think the Potters' actions speak loudest. They made preparations for the event that their son was orphaned and appointed Sirius Black as his guardian. They knew that if Voldemort killed them whilst in hiding that their secret keeper would have betrayed them or died himself, so they would not have made the guardian of their son the same person as their secret keeper. On the evidence that has been presented I think the court should be in agreement with me that Sirius Black was wrongfully imprisoned and is not guilty of all the charges."

"I believe it is time for the vote," agreed Bones.

Sirius tried to sit calmly in his chair. He had been extremely grateful to David when the trial had started and on seeing his robes the court scribe (Percy Weasley) had explained to an indignant Fudge that it would be an insult to the Crimson Lord were Sirius to be chained to his seat. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Albus sitting calmly in the chintz chair he had conjured for himself. The vote was close but Sirius was declared innocent of all charges. Bones assured him that her department would be looking into some form of compensation for his ordeal and measures would be put in place to ensure no one in the future was condemned without trial.

"Sirius this is yours," said David holding up the journal as they exited the court room. "But I would appreciate the chance to read it. May I hang on to it for the present?" Distracted by the news of his long awaited freedom Sirius agreed but whispered in his ear, "Your surname wouldn't be Antirrhinum by any chance?" and was pleased with the wink he got in reply. 


	16. Sirius Thought

15.Sirius Thought

That evening found Ron, Hermione, David and the members of the Order of the Phoenix celebrating the long awaited freedom of Sirius Black. It had been decided that they would have a party at the Order's headquarters. Albus, as secret keeper, had revealed the location to David before Moody could protest which did nothing to prevent him staring suspiciously at David the whole time he was there. Although David had been hoping for this moment for years and had spent time in Azkaban to help it come about he found he was unable to enjoy the celebration. Sirius should be celebrating with his godson not a stranger.

Fred and George, being residents of headquarters, had a large amount of prank equipment on hand and ensured that the party was lively. Tonks helped it along frivolously using her metamorphmagus talents to entertain by changing her hair colour every few minutes. David felt a bit left out of things. Sirius had insisted on him being there since he had been the reason there had been a trial in the first place as well as the reason it had a favourable outcome. David had firmly reminded him not to tell anyone that he and the Crimson Lord were the same person.

David ended up sitting melancholically in a corner drinking butterbeer and wishing his former friends knew who he really was. He knew in his heart that Sirius would not have been freed if he had not spent time in Azkaban and thereby discovered his heritage as a zia but it hurt badly that he could not share this experience as a member of Sirius's family.

The party guests were astonished when Severus Snape joined them half way through the evening. "Severus, I am delighted that you have put aside your disagreements with Sirius and are ready to congratulate him on his acquittal," said Molly spotting him. "Albus said he had been unable to persuade you to attend."

"David reminded me that the trial would have happened over three years ago if I had not interfered and insisted that I attend," replied Severus distastefully. David may have forced him to come but he could still use the occasion to his advantage in ensuring that Lupin be dissuaded from his advances. Molly, he was sure, was part of the Lupin-David matchmaking conspiracy.

Severus continued to shock those present by stalking up to Sirius extending his hand and saying, "Black, congratulations on your acquittal and my apologies for my part it its delay." Ordinarily Sirius would have cut his hand off before shaking Severus's, but since Severus obviously wanted him to refuse he decided to add to the man's discomfort and shook his hand. Sirius smiled benignly as Severus glared at him and stalked off to find David. As soon as his back was turned Sirius scowled.

David's consolation as the event made him more and more miserable was that he was now inside the elusive No. 12 Grimmauld Place and could look for the horcruxes as soon as Severus turned up to help him. He watched the exchange between his father and godfather with some amusement and then left the room with Severus to try some summoning charms in the hallway. Unfortunately none of the expected items responded. Severus then admitted that when the Order had first moved in there had been a campaign to clean up the place and a lot of items had been thrown out. It appeared that they were going to have to look elsewhere. Severus suggested some discrete questioning of Mundungus Fletcher would be a good start; unfortunately he had taken off a few months before when Sirius found him stealing some of his silverware.

"How are things going between you and David?" Sirius asked Remus after the party had died down and most of the guests had departed. David had offered to cover Remus's lessons the next day so that he could spend some time with his friend.

"Good, until term started," said Remus ruefully. "Then things started to go down hill. He's a bit of an enigma."

"He must like you a lot. I wouldn't even have had a trial if it wasn't for him. He doesn't know me from Adam so it must have been because of you."

"He knew you were innocent before I told him. When I said that a friend of mine had been arrested for something he didn't do and was likely to be kissed without a trial he immediately asked if it was you."

"It came out during his testimony that he knew James and Lily well. Lily had left a journal which was to be read me as Harry's guardian, but it was set up so that David could read it too, so they must have known him very well. I wonder why they never mentioned him."

"He mentioned James to me once, but when I brought the subject up later I got the impression that their deaths are still a bit too raw for him. I get the feeling he either knew Harry or at least kept track of him. He has got Albus to re-examine whether Harry was guilty or not."

Sirius gulped. "There's a chance he was innocent?"

"Yes, and reading between the lines I think David thinks that Albus set him up, but I can't get much out of David on the subject. Come to think of it he is pretty tight on any non-academic topic."

"Perhaps I should have a chat with him later. It seems I really owe him - I wouldn't be around if he hadn't testified. Nor would I have had a trial."

"True; and he only found out from me about that by chance. I had no idea he would be able to help at the time."

"So forgetting the trial, what happened to make things difficult between you two?"

"He's been a bit distant. Things were going really well when he first moved in to Hogwarts. He told me that James told him to get to know me because he wanted him to marry me."

"Sounds like he gave you a good opening there!"

"I thought so, but he threw me into a wall when I acted on it. He apologised afterwards, said it was a reflex action and he didn't mean it, but things between us cooled for a bit. And then since the beginning of term I've hardly seen him except in classes and he has been spending a lot of time with Severus who has apparently known him for years."

"I wouldn't put it past Snivelus to be blackmailing him. That or in it for the money and status. I'm sure his slimy Slytherin mind is just in it for the power of being the Crimson Sire. Though from what I've seen of him I would hope that David would…"

"Back up a moment; 'Crimson Sire?' Are you telling me that David is Lord Crimson?"

"Er oops? You knew he arranged the trial so I assumed you knew that too. Yes, David is a zia, head of the Crimson House and leader of the Crimson Fellowship and hence the Crimson Lord."

Remus looked perplexed, then horrified and finally hopeful. "Sirius, do you realise that that means that he is seventeen? It was in the Prophet over the summer that he had been sworn in. The previous Lord Crimson, David Dragon, died in 1989 and as I recall everyone thought that that was the end of the house, but then his grandson turned up out of the blue this summer when he wrote to the palace to arrange his inauguration for the day of his majority.

"Come to think of it, he did look a bit young when I took the pledge. Nothing like what he looked like in the court room so he is probably a metamorphmagus, I think I'd heard that that ran in his family."

"Sirius, there's more. The date the Crimson Lord was installed was the 31st of July; hence he was born the same day that Harry was born. Think about it; he knew about you and immediately went to help; he believes Harry was innocent and pretty much hates Albus; he refuses to say which school he went to just that 'he was only there a few years.' He agreed to go to Hogwarts because he thought Hermione was in danger. That journal of Lily's was set up for him to read, but she never mentioned him. He was really not keen when I kissed him which would be understandable added to which the only person I felt a connection to like David was Harry."

"Sounds like you're convinced, but it could just be wishful thinking. Albus said he had seen Harry being buried, and from what you say I get the impression that Albus does not know David is Harry because he would never have given someone of Harry's age a teaching job, so Albus is not in on the conspiracy."

"That's where the theory falls down isn't it?" agreed Remus. "David is capable of teaching to NEWT level yet Harry only spent four years at school and then spent most of the time since then in Azkaban."

"Azkaban?" growled Sirius. "Albus assured me that he was in St Mungo's. He used to take him messages for me."

"No, apparently he was in Azkaban. David mentioned it after we visited the Dursleys - who are alive apparently and sold Harry out knowing he was probably going to die - and Kingsley was quite put out. Apparently it - Azkaban - was not supposed to be common knowledge."

"I am getting the feeling that a lot of people have been lying to us," concluded Sirius bitterly. "You know, come to think of it, David was extremely keen to get that journal off me after the trial. I would imagine that if he is Harry then that journal would explain his parentage so that in the event of Harry being orphaned his guardian, i.e. me, would know his heritage and be able to prepare him for it."

Remus considered for a few moments. "I think we should ask David for the journal. If he is Harry he will probably tell us since he wouldn't want us to just read it blind."

"But if he is Harry what do we do? I'm not particularly pleased with Albus at the moment what with the whole 'he's in St Mungo's' business but shouldn't we tell him?"

"Well, David dislikes him. When he met him in July he told me 'under no circumstances leave me alone with that man.' Ultimately if it comes down to a choice, who would you go with Albus or Harry?"

"Harry," said Sirius firmly. "He's my godson and so far I've managed to leave him to grow up with muggles who hated him and to end up in Azkaban. He's probably repaid me by saving me from the kiss so it's about time I started living up to my responsibilities. You?"

"If David is Harry then I trust him. As you say, he saved you; he has also saved Hermione's life twice, once at serious risk of losing his own. Since he started working with Neville Longbottom Neville's grades have improved hugely. David is also an excellent teacher. Forget the fact that I'm in love with the guy. I'll stand by him."

"Yes about that Mr Moony. I'm not sure I approve of you having impure thoughts about my godson."

"I assure you I have had broken bones which prove your godson is perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Remember the whole point of coming of age at seventeen is that that is the age that soul-mates become physically attracted to each other. My feelings towards David/Harry changed the day he arrived at Hogwarts this summer, which would have been Harry's seventeenth birthday. Besides Prongs wanted us to marry."

"David told you that - you realise he can't possibly remember anything Prongs said, and Prongs would hardly have decided that Pronglet was destined for you at age fourteen months. Anyway, when did you work out you were the soul-mate of either of them?"

"With Harry - about a month after I resigned from Hogwarts. I realised that I had always known when he was in trouble. There had been times when I had become anxious for no apparent reason and that stopped after I left and there was a distance between us. I knew someone at Hogwarts was my soul-mate and I narrowed it down to him. With David - I didn't really know but I've suspected it since I felt the same way around him to when I was around Harry. When we visited the Dursleys and they told us what they had done to Harry; I could feel David's anger even after he had left the room to cool down."

"But you haven't told him have you?"

"Not yet, Severus has been making it appear that they are involved. We don't know what Severus's role in all this is. David claimed that Severus knows him better than anyone else alive. But why would Severus help Harry?"

"How is Harry able to boss Snivelus around?"

"How did Harry learn all he did?"

"What happened between Harry and Albus?"

"If Harry's a metamorphmagus why did nobody notice?"

"How did Harry escape from Azkaban?"

"How did Harry end up in Azkaban?"

"And what the hell actually happened that summer?"

"How did Harry end up with a reference from Nicholas Flamel?"

"I think Mr Moony that Mr Padfoot will be accompanying you back to the old alma mater tomorrow evening. Mr Pronglet has a lot of questions to answer." 


	17. Revelations

16.Revelations

After supper the next day as David was playing chess with Minerva in the staff room Remus and Sirius arrived at Hogwarts. They found David easy to locate since his attendance at the staff mid week chess games had become a fixture. Wednesday was the night that the head boy and girl patrolled giving the staff a mid week break, and hence was suitable for indulging in other pastimes. David had made his interest in chess clear from his first week in the castle. Minerva, who was by far the best player besides the headmaster who was not always able to join them, was delighted to have a challenging opponent and the two of them partnered each other as often as possible.

Sirius was thrilled by the opportunity to enter the staff room - a place he had not managed to gain access to in his school days. He did not have much time to appreciate the privilege because he barely had time to take in the scenery before David had won his game leaving Minerva free to spot his intrusion.

"Well there's a sight I never thought I'd see," she exclaimed. "Sirius Black in the staff room. At least you have the decency to look out of place." She was right; he was feeling particularly uncomfortable under her gaze. Memories of too many lectures in his youth were brought back to him with more force now he was in Hogwarts than they had been when he had encountered her at Order meetings. He decided that a diversion would be the best form of defence.

"Now that I'm able to take up my governorship duties I thought that a tour of the parts of the school I hadn't seen was in order," said Sirius winking at Minerva. "Perhaps you'd be willing to show me your own rooms." Flirting with Minerva had not worked when he was a student trying to get out of detentions but it was a hard habit to break. Her lips thinned in displeasure and Sirius decided another diversion was in order so he turned to her chess opponent. "David, I was hoping I might get that journal off you?"

David unsuccessfully tried to keep his expression unconcerned, "I haven't actually finished reading it yet Sirius, could you give me a bit longer?"

"I am most interested in reading it," insisted Sirius.

"It's in my room; why don't you come with me to get it? I expect I'll be appreciated if I get you out of the staff room." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, and led the way out of the staff room followed by Sirius and Remus.

"Don't look so petrified," said Remus to David as they approached his door. "If we weren't going to listen to your side of the story we wouldn't be here."

David nodded despondently and opened the door motioning for them to sit down as he summoned the troublesome journal. He put up some wards against eavesdroppers and then sat heavily before finally looking up at them and speaking. "Do you want to read it or would you rather I told you?"

"Why don't you start by telling us why you are on the list of people able to read Lily's journal, given that you were an infant when she was killed?"

"I knew when I revealed myself to Sirius that there was a risk he would remember the Prophet article," said David ruefully, "although I did ask you not to tell anyone who I was."

"I didn't intend to," defended Sirius, "it sort of came out, but I'm thankful it did because it took both of us to piece it together. I have been thinking you were dead for a long time."

"I couldn't risk telling you before you were set free in case you were interrogated," apologised David. "It would appear you know precisely why I am able to read Lily's journal, so I'll give you the summary. James and Lily weren't my parents, they were my godparents. Didn't it strike you as odd that they only chose you as a godparent for Harry when traditionally a child has three? Anyway they pretended that Lily was pregnant and then told you the wrong expected birth date so that you would not be around for the birth. Unfortunately with no professionals to help with the birth something went wrong and my maternal father - Roger - died. Anyway James and Lily performed the adoption charms so that I would look like I was theirs and would appear to be Harry James Potter should anyone check my identity.

"The plan was for them to raise me so that while I knew my heritage nobody else would. The reason for this was that the dark wanted me as a tool and the light would kill me rather than risk that. It all started when my uncle Godric was abducted by Death Eaters. His death was well publicised especially since it was the catalyst that led to the Mockwood and Verdant Houses renouncing citizenship and fleeing the country. What was not widely known was that the Order of the Phoenix had discovered why he was abducted rather than simply assassinated, since Voldemort had already killed off three zia houses. Godric was not killed because Voldemort wanted to use breed him and raise his children as Death Eaters. 

"But that wouldn't work," protested Remus, "Voldemort is highly intelligent and he would have known that zias are unable to use dark magic."

"Unfortunately that is an over simplification things. Voldemort found an unintentional loophole. The magic that binds the members of zia houses is focused through the head of the house, but it can't be done through a child. Voldemort planned to kill off the whole house apart from a child heir whom he would control. The child would be brought up to serve him and would never complete the magic which would otherwise bind the child to the service of the country when he reached his majority.

"As I said, the Order or rather Albus found out about what was happening to Godric in captivity and since my grandfather was a close friend they discussed it and worked out what Voldemort was attempting. He would not have succeeded with Godric since a soul-mate bond is required for conception but the zia lords worried about what would happen if a child were abducted. The two houses with underage members fled the country. Hapstaff only had daughters and his soul-mate was incurably insane so he could not produce an heir. My grandfather felt that his duty was to stay in Britain, but he decided to ensure that his remaining son, my father, was unable to have children until Voldemort had been defeated, declaring that he would kill his own grandchild if he had to. Since Grandfather David was obsessed with the continuation of the family line my granddad was very worried by that and managed to keep him from directly forbidding my father to bond and the two of them kept the bonding secret and hence also hid my birth from both my grandfather and Albus. My granddad, my parents and the Potters were the only people who knew since with David's and Albus's influence and contacts nobody else was safe to tell.

"However things did not work out to plan. I ended up living with the Dursleys who thankfully did not know that I wasn't completely human because they would have killed me. Because of Albus my father, who was the only living person who knew the truth since my granddad was killed shortly before I was born, was unable to find me until I started school. He couldn't tell Albus what I was for fear of what Albus might do 'in the best interests of society,' particularly while my grandfather was still alive. There is a prophesy about how I will have the power to destroy the dark lord, but since Albus was happy to send me to Azkaban I think he doesn't put a huge amount of store in divination and it would not have been enough to save me. There are after all a lot of prophesies in the Department of Mysteries which are never fulfilled. Things would have been easier for me though if my father had told me.

"Then Voldemort came back and the night I returned to Privet Drive I was offered a Wilfred's choice. If I refused Albus and Sirius would be murdered and the dementors would wander the country at will. The only plus side was that Fudge would be out on his ear. I chose the other path and naturally did not remember the choice until the conditions had been fulfilled which was in June this year. 

"I can't tell you what happened to cause my trial since I am under a secrecy vow. The Dursleys, however, are alive as Remus has witnessed, and they admitted that they knew that deliberately betrayed me to the Death Eaters. Albus and Kingsley Shacklebolt interrogated me. I explained to them about the secrecy vow and that I was therefore unable to defend my actions. I could not tell them how the mark got onto my arm and I protested that I was not a Death Eater but of course the secrecy vow would make me do so even if I was so they did not believe me. I found out a few months ago that it was a muggle tattoo. Despite the danger because I was underage they even tried veritaserum and needless to say it got them nowhere. Then one day, Severus came in on Albus's orders and force fed me dementialis before I was taken for a psychological review. He did so again on the day of my trial. The court was convinced that I was insane and I was taken to Azkaban.

"Albus visited me a few times, but I think he realised that I would never agree to work for him again and he stopped coming. Living with the Dursleys gave me magical repression, which meant that I was unable to do powerful magic unless I was desperate enough to break the mental barriers. After a year and a half in Azkaban I was desperate and my intention was to join my parents. I managed to enter the realm of the dead whilst still being alive. This enabled Roger to organise my training both magical and social so that I would be able to live the life of the Crimson Lord. I expect Remus remembers my botched initiation? Well I did a lot of work with Godric Gryffindor and since he was my ancestor he had me calling him 'Grandfather Godric' to distinguish him from my uncle. A lot of people joined in with helping me, particularly those who had been killed by Voldemort. Godric was able to persuade Salazar Sytherin to teach me strategy. It would appear that they got on a lot better than history relates. Apparently Salazar's basilisk was named 'Godric' and was never meant to leave the Chamber of Secrets. The entrance way is in parseltongue so that nobody would go near the basilisk without being able to control him. After hearing what happened Salazar readily forgave me for killing him.

"I'm getting sidetracked; anyway I spent the equivalent of years with the dead before awaking in my cell and casting some illusions to make it appear that I had died. At the same time I wrestled with Voldemort using the connection my scar gave us to enter his mind. I managed to put him in a coma so that I would be able to search his mind at my leisure. Unfortunately he was killed before I was able to discover the location of all his horcruxes. Once I was buried I apparated off the island to Lions' Den and started making plans for Voldemort's destruction. A few days later Fawkes appeared and started helping me out. It was nice to have someone other than a house elf to talk to and Fawkes was a great help. I don't know if he knew who I had been for most of my life because I never asked. He got me to publish some of the researches I had been doing - I see now it was part of his plan to get me an academic reputation so that I could work at Hogwarts. He then got me to meet Remus and then Albus. Since when the meddling pigeon has thankfully left me alone.

"I guess this is the point where I ask 'any questions?"

"Yes," said Sirius immediately. "Since it appears that I am still your godfather I would very much like to know who your father is. I can guess that your maternal was Roger Dragon, but I am in the dark as to who your paternal is."

"Antirrhinum is my parent's married name. My parents are Roger Antirrhinum who died for me, and Severus Antirrhinum who is still living."

Remus swiftly took out his wand and petrified Sirius. Sirius's eyes were all that he could still move and if looks could kill Remus would have been worried.

"Why did do that?" asked David as if he was taking to a dangerous criminal he did not want to upset.

"Because you are going to explain exactly who Severus Antirrhinum is, and I think you'll be safest if Sirius can't move when he hears it."

"I take it you're a keen gardener then?" asked David. "That is why I didn't want to risk anyone knowing my surname. You worked it out in all of three seconds." He turned to his godfather. "Sirius, Antirrhinum is the Latin name for the Snapdragon flower, and Roger's surname before he married was Dragon, so I expect you realise who my other father was?"

Sirius began to blink rapidly and started turning red and then purple. David produced a potion which he showed Remus to get his approval before performing the counter curse on Sirius and pouring the liquid down his throat before he was able to protest. The calming draft was designed to work quickly and by the time Sirius had realised what had happened to him he felt his anger recede.

"Snape's your father," he announced gloomily. "And that means that as a member of the fellowship I have to be polite to him don't I, now that I know who he is? And until you are twenty-five he can order me around?"

David nodded. "He's not so bad Sirius," he said. "The Severus you knew at school became a Death Eater. The Severus who married my dad turned his back on Voldemort and knows the value of friends and family. He has been forced to do things he hates in order to save lives. His public persona has only been able to change within the last few months since he put a very effective end to his spying days by casting the killing curse on his supposed master. He is now letting the real Severus show through more, but he has been pretending for so long that it will take a while. I imagine he has been horrible to you at Order meetings over the last couple of years but I think that was what he needed in order to keep up his act, if his colleagues knew that it was an act they would attempt to get him to drop it around them which would make things difficult for him. Only Albus has seen the real Severus since his spouse died. Please give him a chance."

"The man forced you to drink a potion that condemned you to Azkaban and you are asking me to give him another chance?"

"Exactly. If I can forgive him for sending me to Azkaban and for not telling me who he was and making my lessons with him at Hogwarts miserable then surely you can forgive him any schoolyard transgressions. As I understand Remus also has a far better reason to hate him than you do."

"I have put his behaviour behind me," agreed Remus. "Though it was helpful that living as a werewolf has made me particularly aware of the masks people wear. I can smell strong emotions even in human form and I know Severus's actions have been at odds with his true feelings for years." He turned to David, "Just as I was aware that your friendship for me was genuine and the tale you have told us tonight is true. I am confused though why you have forgiven Severus but not Albus."

"All I can say is that Severus acted as he did because he believed me guilty. Yes he could have acknowledged me as his son and performed the mind-ritual and so found out the truth, but he was convinced that there was nothing to find out and so saw no reason to reveal that he had been lying to everyone about his marriage for so long. And if it had got out his days as a spy would be numbered. His is saving his married identity as an escape route. Once Voldemort is defeated it will be safe to admit he is a member of the Crimson House and he plans on nobody associating that identity with a former Death Eater which will free him from stigma."

Both wizards picked up on the subtle impression that Albus did not believe that David was guilty, but that David could not out right say so because of his secrecy vow. He had said the next best thing.

"I understand," said Sirius. "I would not have believed that of Albus though."

"Nor would I while I was at Hogwarts, I did not truly believe what had happened until I had been in Azkaban for a few months. What are the two of you going to do with your knowledge?" asked David, though he hoped he knew the answer.

"Not much," said Sirius shrugging. "We decided yesterday that if we had to choose between family and Albus we would choose family. And you still are family even if James and Lily only adopted you. We will keep your secrets."

"The true Marauders stick by their own," agreed Remus.

"Does that mean I can have a Marauder name?" asked David grinning.

"You already do," declared Sirius, "you've been 'Pronglet' since I first saw you. I tried to convince James that 'Bambi' would be better but he refused."

"I don't think 'Pronglet' really goes with my animagus form," mused David pleased with the smiles on their faces as they realised that he had managed the transformation. "I don't have any prongs in any shape or form."

"Let's see," commanded Remus. 

David obliged them by transforming into a black cat with blue eyes.

"I approve of the colour," said Sirius as he lifted the cat for a closer inspection. "But I think you're a bit on the small side, more of a kitten than a cat. He deftly avoided the playful swipe that greeted this statement and changed his hold to grip David by the scruff of the neck. Thus incapacitated David could not even squirm as Sirius rotated him for inspection. He did manage the kitten version of a glare - unfortunately glaring kittens are not at all frightening, particularly to a dog animagus.

"Definitely no prongs," said Remus who had perched himself on the arm of his friend's chair for a closer look. He got the distinct impression that the kitten was unhappy with his predicament as if a voice was saying 'let me go now!' and so took him from Sirius before moving back to his own chair and settling the animal on his lap. "You're much more affectionate in this form," he murmured as he stroked the kitten's fur and it leaned into his touch.

"That's because you'd hardly rape me in this form," said a voice in Remus's head.

His hands froze. "David, did you just say something to me?" he asked.

"You heard that?" came the voice. "Bugger."

"Yes I heard that. I'd like you to explain…"

"Remus stop winding me up," moaned Sirius. "An animagus in animal form can't talk to you any more than an animal could."

"Animals talk to me," came the same voice. "well sort of, but it would appear that I can't talk to Siriuses."

When Sirius made no response Remus agreed, "No, it would seem that you can't. I wonder why you can talk to me."

"Remus!"

"Sirius he is talking to me - why don't you ask David something that I wouldn't know?"

"Okay I'll play along," said Sirius. "So David, tell me one of the questions I asked when you offered me the orchid."

"He says that you asked if the Crimson House had any alliances with Death Eaters."

"Well bugger me!" exclaimed Sirius.

"You know I'd love to," replied Remus with a straight face, "but something tells me you're not serious in your offer. Now we have a name to pick."

"Parrot?" suggested Sirius once he had got over the shock of Remus being suggestive. "Parrots can talk." A hiss from David told them what he thought of that idea. "Hush you," scolded Sirius waggling a finger at the kitten, "you don't get any input in this. Do you think any of us chose our names?"

David settled back into Remus's lap and nudged his hand to get him to start stroking his fur again. "I don't think 'Parrot' is a good idea Padfoot," mused Remus. "It doesn't say anything about his appearance. Even 'Moony' is related to my appearance at the full moon. Perhaps 'Claws' would be better? Or 'Fluff,' or…"

"Claws' is too generic," said Sirius dismissively. "I agree he's a bit of a fluff ball but I don't like that either. 'Sooty' is ambiguous enough and it is certainly better than 'Blackie' or 'Noir.' I think 'Sooty' would be the best idea."

"Agreed, well now Mr Sooty," said Remus prodding the kitten, "why don't you change back. I haven't forgotten what you said earlier and we definitely need to talk, but we shouldn't leave Sirius out."

David stood up and leisurely stretched himself yawning widely before hopping off Remus's lap, making his way back to his own chair and transforming. "At least you didn't call me 'Sweep," he grumbled good naturedly. "I have no intention of going 'beep' all the time." Sirius looked clueless. "It's a muggle thing," David added quickly.

Remus went into lecture mode, "There's a television show - like a play - for children with puppets called 'Sooty,' 'Sweep' and 'Soo.' Sooty can't talk but can whisper in the puppet master's ear, Sweep communicates by beeps and Soo talks normally. In fact Sooty can do magic, Sweep is his partner in crime and Soo is a bit of a bossy know-it-all but she looks out for them - kind of like Harry, Ron and Hermione. Apart from the fact that Sooty is a beige bear not a black cat the name is quite apt, particularly since you didn't know the connection." 

David grinned. "I can't wait until I get to tell Ron that he's got to beep." He picked Lily's journal from the floor beside his chair and sent if flying towards Sirius. "I'm feeling quite tired," he said with a yawn. "I think a side effect of being a cat is a tendency to need to catnap. And I've got a whole lot of tests to mark so I'll have to kick you out. Go read the journal - find out all the things Lily wanted you to know. If you want confirmation of what I've said talk to my father - we performed the mind ritual so he even knows what I can't talk about due to that secrecy vow - unfortunately the mind ritual transfers the vow so he can't discuss it either, but he can use it himself to pass judgement."

"Are you taking any detentions on Saturday?" asked Sirius as he was ushered towards the door. David shook his head. "Then come for lunch. We've never had a chance to spend any time together so I've got a lot of godfatherly duties to catch up on."

"We'd be liable to be overheard," said David, "perhaps it would be better if I invited you to Lions' Den? I tend to go home at some point during the weekend anyway. Shall we say twelve? Remus is that okay with you?"

"Can I let you know later?" asked Remus, not sure whether Sirius wanted him there or not. "I'll need to check my duty schedule." As David closed the door he added, "And your avoidance has not escaped my notice young man, we will discuss your comment soon."

"It was nothing personal," said David tiredly through the half closed door. "Please don't repeat what I said." 


	18. Conspiracy

Conspiracy 

Remus sat nervously in the headmaster's office with Minerva, Albus and Kingsley. Albus had introduced David as the topic for their meeting and Remus was worried that he would not be able to keep his knowledge to himself. There was something about Albus that just made you trust him and want to tell him all you knew. He forced his expression to be neutral and hoped that nobody would pick up on his unease, a mistake could be lethal. Remus stretched his senses to keep tabs on the emotions of the people in the room. He needed all the information he could gather to thread his way through this conversation. It was Minerva who spoke first after Albus had introduced the subject.

"Why isn't Severus here? He told me that he had known David for years. He must know him really well because he allowed him to tease him about his black robes. He didn't even give a sarcastic retort."

"I have doubts as to Severus's impartiality on this subject," said Albus mildly. "I have had several conversations with him about David and he refuses to give me any information about him. All he will say is that David was not a Death Eater or supporter of any dark wizard." He did not add that Severus had declared that David's past was David's secret to keep. He did not want his current listeners to take the same moral ground. "He says that he is a remarkable man who has been through some terrible ordeals but has the best interest of Hogwarts at heart."

Remus debated whether to point out that if they wanted David to trust them with his background then conspiring to gain his secrets was not the best way of going about it, but decided that as much as he wanted out of this meeting it would be in David's best interest to know what was going on.

"David was very keen to keep his surname a secret at Sirius's trial. Do either of you know what it is?" he asked Remus and Minerva.

"I have been searching my memory for Davids," said Minerva frowning in thought. "I believe he might have been a beneficiary of Harry Potter's will which you may remember I was executor for. I cannot remember the surname of the David involved, and even if I could I am not really meant to be discussing the will."

"We know from the trial that David was a friend of Lily and James and that Lily thought he would be part of Harry's life so it makes sense that Harry knew him too. What I don't understand is how – the wards on Privet Drive would have notified me if a wizard was in regular contact with him and David did not meet him here," said Albus.

"I know that Severus knows what David's surname is," said Remus. "David made a comment about how a conversation about his name was the first indication he had that Severus had a sense of humour."

"Are David and Severus involved?" asked Minerva. "They seem to spend a lot of time together."

"I have been wondering that too," said Remus thinking that it would be a very good way of hiding their true relationship.

"As I understand it," said Kingsley, "David is of joint British-Spanish nationality so either country could have his birth and education records. Albus asked me to conduct a discrete search for them, but I was unable to find any. I estimated him to be between thirty and seventy. I was hoping that you might be able to narrow my search."

"As I recall from what David said," began Remus helpfully, "he has 'Spanish roots' which could easily mean roots in the Spanish language which would bring most of South America into the picture."

Kingsley slapped his bald head in exasperation. "It would be almost impossible to search that many countries without somebody wondering what was going on. Not to mention the time it would take, and it would all be for nothing if we've got his age wrong."

"Do you know when his birthday is?" Albus asked Remus. "That would help to narrow the search."

"No," said Remus, "but I met him in April or May and he hasn't celebrated one since then to the best of my knowledge." He congratulated himself on this true but very misleading statement.

"Is there anything that either of you know that could help?" asked Kingsley. "He knew some highly classified information and his explanation was unsatisfactory. If I can't track down who he is and thereby find out how he knew it is looking like Severus has been leaking which does not bode well for him."

"I don't believe Severus would do that!" protested Minerva. "He is extremely loyal to Albus."

"I do not believe Severus would betray me either," said Albus. "And I am exceedingly pleased to hear you defend him. You would not have done so, not so long ago." Minerva had the grace to look sheepish. "But the point remains that David knew some things that only a few people in the Order knew, and that Voldemort knew. Severus has declared categorically that David is not a Death Eater, but it is possible that he has Severus fooled."

"Perhaps I should reveal something," said Remus. "My werewolf side makes me quite sensitive to people's intentions. I can tell if someone means to harm me or not. That was how I knew when I met Sirius in the Shrieking Shack that it was only Pettigrew that he was dangerous to. I have never sensed that David wished me any harm."

"What about the incident in the corridor – he broke several of your bones," pointed out Minerva.

"Yes," agreed Remus, "but he didn't intend to hurt me, it was a reflex action. One which is less likely to be repeated if we gain his trust. There is something else in his favour which I don't think he wanted you to know about because it could make you feel guilty, but he was offered a Wilfred's Choice and he chose to prevent Albus's murder at great personal cost."

The other three occupants in the room were stunned. "If he was indeed offered a Wilfred's Choice then there will be some record of it. The fact that it involved me would suggest that it was offered while David was in Britain so it should be our ministry who recorded it," said Albus. "Kingsley would you be able to access the Department of Mysteries' records?"

"No," said Kingsley, "at least not directly. But I might be able to interest an unspeakable in checking it for me. If David has not actually registered the choice he was given then the department would be interested in meeting him. I could offer the contact information and if it was taken up then we would know that he either was offered the choice or knows the person who was."

"I don't think David would want to be identified as someone who was offered a Wilfred's Choice," said Remus emphatically. "He would not want the publicity and I know for certain that he does not like discussing what happened to him. I understand it was extremely traumatic and he is lucky to have survived as well as he has. If it would get you to trust him he might be persuaded to reveal the details."

"It would explain why he appears to hate me," mused Albus. "If he suffered in order to save my life."

"I don't think that is why he dislikes you," said Remus. "Yours was not the only life he saved through the choice but as far as I know you are the only one he dislikes."

"It would appear we are no further forward," said Minerva. "The task of tracking down David's records seems impossible and the mystery around him has increased. Severus would have his reasons for trusting him, particularly since the hat did not put him in Slytherin which is a blind spot of his."

"That's a thought," said Kingsley. "What about the hat, if you sorted him then the hat would have read his mind."

"I was wondering when one of you would ask me my opinion," groused the hat. "But all I can say is what I said to Albus after I had sorted David. He is intelligent and powerful and extremely loyal to his friends. He has had a horrible life so far due to various notaries of the Wizarding World and while I don't believe he would ever go dark the way you are all treating him would be the best way to ensure that he does. Give the poor man a chance. His secrets are his own business – and frankly many of them you are better off not knowing."

"That," thought Remus, "sums things up rather nicely." Unfortunately Albus ignored Alph and went on to make a list of all the things they did know about David. Remus made sure to add some misleading titbits like David being a good friend of James Potter. Then Minerva had a bright idea.

"David seems to know a lot about Hogwarts. He is able to communicate with the castle and he knew the sorting hat and the head boy initiation ritual, but he was taken by surprise by the teacher's initiation. Therefore I think he was a student here rather than a teacher. He has been very reluctant to tell us where he went to school – what if it was because he attended Hogwarts?"

Remus was worried. "If he had," he said, "it would make sense of how he knows so much and yet claims not to have any OWLs or NEWTs. Assuming he was a student under a different name he could not claim those qualifications without revealing himself. If I remember what he said correctly he would just have not come back one term, possibly a letter was sent by the muggles he lived with stating that he had died or some such excuse because otherwise I expect someone would have tried to locate him. That all suggests that even if he studied for his NEWTs he never took the exams."

"So," said Kingsley processing the information in true investigator fashion, "we're looking for a student who was possibly head-boy, probably a Gryffindor and disappeared one holiday. The student was raised by muggles which means that someone would have been sent to accompany him to Diagon Alley before he started. All we need is to cross match those attributes and we have him. Best to start working backwards from the class of 1990 I reckon to give him time to work with Flamel after he leaves."

"We might be able to narrow if further," said Minerva. "What if we ask him to tackle a boggart? The shape it takes could be the same as when he was a student which would help."

"So you see," Remus explained to David that evening in their office while the faculty thought they were marking essays, "Albus is going to arrange for you to be called upon to deal with a boggart at some point in the near future."

"He'll get one hell of a shock if he does," said David smiling. "There were several at Lions' Den so the moment I had company – i.e. Sirius last Saturday – I set to at removing them. I imagine my boggart is rather unique and would particularly embarrass our esteemed headmaster. Unfortunately it could also narrow down his quest as to who I am. This calls for some cunning."

"I'm surprised that it is no longer a dementor. I think Sirius's has been one ever since Azkaban."

"Nah, I've faced that fear and overcome it so they no longer frighten me. Now I just have to sort out a plausible excuse as to why seeing Albus nearly naked bothers me so."

"That's your boggart?" choked out Remus the gears in his head turning very fast. "I understand now why you didn't want anything to do with him and refuse to forgive him. I assume that is why you can forgive Severus but not Albus."

"You're taking the concept very calmly."

"I think I'm just in shock. Once I've fully processed what it means I will explode."

"If it helps, I've taken steps to ensure the safety of other students. You might have noticed that Albus has taken to wearing gloves while school is in session? He can't come into skin contact with anyone under the age of nineteen without unpleasant results. He asked me to lift the curse over the summer as a last resort since Minerva and Poppy had been unable to do so. I examined what the curse was and then refused stating that it would be irresponsible for me to remove such a curse since it was obviously designed to protect people and frankly I was concerned as to whether I should work in a school whose headmaster was under it. Albus was not pleased with me!"

"I can imagine," said Remus dryly. "I don't know how you can be so forgiving though."

"It is difficult," agreed David. "In some ways what Albus has done to me is worse than what Voldemort has done to me, but he is needed if Voldemort is to be defeated. I am keeping my temper in check in the mean time. Spending time with the dead also helped, they had had a long time to reflect on the mistakes they made in their own lives and the thing they kept drilling in to me was the importance of forgiveness and giving people second chances. I can't quite bring myself to do that for Albus yet, but perhaps one day I will. Don't look at me like that, I'm not noble or anything I'm just a product of my experiences like everyone else."

"I don't think 'everyone else' could have gone through what you did and not have blown up the Ministry and decapitated Albus as soon as they got the power to do so."

"Yeah," said David quietly. "But don't tell Sirius. He thinks that I caught Albus skinny dipping in the lake. Apparently Sirius caught him swimming when he was a student and Albus asked him to join him. Sirius protested that he had no swimming trunks and Albus said that he didn't either. As I understand it Sirius mumbled something about being meant to meet you lot and ran for it. He said the incident was so bizarre he never told you about it. So my dear Marauder I need your help. I have to somehow engineer a situation whereby I end up seeing Albus in a state of undress to make my boggart seem plausible."

"Far be it from me to quell your troublemaking, but if we do this, and I agree that it is necessary and all in a good cause, we mustn't do it in front of the students. We must not cause them to disrespect their headmaster."

"So what do you suggest? Strip poker? I'm quite able to stack the deck."

"He might not want to play," said Remus. "And even if you stacked the deck Sibyll is both bound to play and bound to loose."

"Sounds like the voice of experience!"

"Experience I could do with out," muttered Remus. "Christmas party when I was your teacher. Sibyll prepared the punch; everyone got drunk apart from Severus. Her stripping off is one of the few memories I retain from that night. I doubt any of the staff would be willing to repeat that performance."

"Perhaps a spell? I could set up something in a doorway he would go through. A curse to make his robes undo themselves or something similar. It's just incredibly important that I don't get caught."

"Perhaps if the context was innocent," suggested Remus. "I mean it would be explainable to have a spell like that on the door to your bedroom or the door to a changing room. The only question is how to get Albus to walk through said door. The spell itself could be rather mild; you just need to do something else, innocently, to Albus which would interact badly with it to create the wanted result."

Inspiration struck David, "No, I think I have a better idea, but it will get Sirius into trouble, hopefully he will think it worth it – after all I am sure he would like to play a long distance prank on the staff. I'd say that he needed to work off some anger but you and he took my tale very calmly."

Remus blushed. "I had worked out the pertinent points before we talked to you so I had tried to prepare Sirius for them and had come to terms with them myself. The only thing that I didn't tell Sirius was how I thought Severus fitted into everything because I didn't think he would be able to hide his knowledge."

"I'm realising how extremely lucky I am that you're on my side," David complemented Remus who subconsciously reached for the cat pendent that hung beneath his robes as a symbol of his loyalty to the Crimson House. He felt lucky to be on David's side too.


	19. Marauder Mayhem

18.Marauder Mayhem

Sirius Black had happily supplied David with the appropriate cursed item. They had decided on a friendship band since it would make sense for Sirius to give him something symbolic in thanks for his help with the trial. It helped that it would be extremely impolite for David to check said gift for curses since it would imply mistrust in the motives of the giver. Of course anyone who actually knew Sirius Black would have checked over the gift anyway since they were accustomed to his sense of humour, but there was no way David could be expected to know that. Instead David set the plan in action by making sure to mention over breakfast that he was off to procure a grindylow and would probably drop in on Sirius while he was out.

The next day Sirius received a howler. It arrived while he was eating breakfast with the twins; howlers never arrived while the recipient was alone if they could help it. The twins were grinning widely when they recognised the voice as that of Minerva McGonagall. 

"Sirius Black what on earth did you think you were doing?" yelled the envelope. "Scrap that it is pretty obvious you weren't thinking at all. You owe David a lot for effectively saving your life and you repay him by half scaring him to death. The man was petrified - and I don't mean the bodybind curse. That young man has serious trust issues with the Wizarding World and you really haven't helped matters.

"Not to mention poor Albus. What would have happened if the students had witnessed your prank? If you were still my student I would have you cleaning the common room with a toothbrush. I suggest you don't show your face around here any time soon or I might just do that.

"You will apologise to Albus and David if you know what's good for you. While I may not believe in casting the first spell next time I see you I don't think Severus has the same reservations. You'd better not be laughing right now."

"Oh wow Sirius," said Fred.

"What exactly did you do?" asked George.

"Professor McGonagall only once threatened us with the toothbrushes…"

"And that was when she caught us covering her desk with catnip."

"I was trying to help Remus," said Sirius defensively. "He was having trouble getting David to admit that he was attracted to him, despite the fact that he obviously was, so I tried to help things along a bit. I gave David a friendship band on which I had cast a version of the revealo charm which I perfected in the carefree days of my youth. It was meant to work on Remus and David, not David and Albus."

"But what did it do to them," asked Fred impatiently.

"I'll tell you when you're older," said Sirius tapping his nose. Fred exchanged a knowing glance with George; there was no way Sirius would get away with that.

Five minutes and many colourful hexes later Sirius gave in and explained the use of the revealo charm in amorous encounters. The twins were left with a disturbing image of the headmaster doing a striptease and wondering whether knowledge was always the best way to go. It did give them an idea for a new range of products though. It was three months to Valentine's Day so they should be able to get them manufactured in time. They also applauded Sirius for his audacity and started planning their own way of getting a howler from McGonagall - the new top honours in pranking.

Albus was sitting by himself in his office with his pensive out on his desk in front of him. He was reviewing the meeting he had had with Kingsley earlier in the day. Kingsley had contacted his friend in the Department of Mysteries about the Wilfred's Choice. Such events were quite rare, happening only once or twice a century in any one country.

"I almost lost my job," the bald figure above his pensive was saying. "There's a clamp down on information about the latest choice. Due to the secrecy of their work the unspeakables are sticklers for the law to ensure that their doings do not get out of hand. The clampdown must have been done legally. I didn't think that even the Minister had that much power."

Albus agreed. The Minister would not have ordered such a clampdown. Even if he had had the power Fudge did not have the backbone for such a decision. Also he would have wanted the publicity that went along with a Wilfred's Choice. There was only one person who had the power and she had never exercised it before. Somehow the queen had been persuaded to involve herself. It appeared that David had a very influential protector. Maybe he should take the advice of those who knew David and try to gain his trust rather than sneak around looking for his secrets. It would not do to have him as an opponent if it could be helped. Yet there was still his nagging doubt that David had the best interests of the Wizarding World at heart. Tom Riddle had also been highly intelligent and highly secretive. Severus had been lured into giving his loyalty to a dark lord in the past, what if history was repeating itself?

David readily agreed to help sort out the boggart in Minerva's office when she asked him over breakfast since after all one of the basics for dealing with a boggart was to have company. Instead of giving in to the apprehension of facing his worst fear and all the memories it entailed David smiled inwardly in anticipation of the look on Minerva's face when she saw it. Perhaps Sirius would get another howler.

David invited Remus along to help with the boggart and so the three teachers walked together to Minerva's office. As predicted Minerva gestured for David to open the suspect cupboard while she and Remus remained as backup. Remembering that he was supposed to be surprised by the 'changed' appearance of his boggart David allowed himself a few moments to stand still in 'shock.' This gave Minerva plenty of time to recognise the figure of Albus leave the cupboard and start to undo his robes while leering. She was rather enthralled by the image before remembering exactly what was in front of her when David cried 'ridickulus' and the Albus-boggart was forced into a pirouette whilst wearing a pink tutu, pale tights, ballet slippers and matching ribbons in his beard.

"All sorted Minerva," said David once he had finished the boggart off with his laughter. "Remus, I think I'd better not do any of the boggart lessons, don't you agree?" As soon as the two DADA teachers had left their speechless colleague behind in her office they started to chuckle. 


	20. Trick or Treat

19.Trick or Treat

Ever since his conversation with David about his boggart Remus had been turning over in his mind the implications of his realisation about Albus. He found it very difficult to believe Albus was capable of raping anyone, let alone one of his students, yet it seemed that that was what David believed had happened. David had said that Severus had witness all his memories of the events that summer through the mind ritual. So Remus was on his way to talk to Severus about his own conclusions.

"You realise that I can neither confirm nor deny what you have deduced?" pointed out Severus after Remus had explained. There was a slight emphasis on the word 'confirm.'

"I understand," Remus assured him. "What I want to talk to you about is whether you believe such events were possible. I can only conclude that it must have been polyjuice. It seems to me that assuming it was not Albus who framed Harry, then whoever did was able to fool him be perfectly capable of also convincing Harry that it was Albus. What better way to torture Harry?"

"What you say makes a lot of sense. I have been unable to decide myself. David has good reasons for his beliefs."

"He told us that had Albus worked out who Harry really was he would have killed Harry rather than risk him going dark before he reached his majority."

"Roger believed that. Or more specifically that his father would find out from Albus and do so. Roger had reason to worry. Albus had tried to stop him from procreating, at least until after the war was over. He drugged both of us to dampen down the soul-mate bond we had in order to prevent us getting together."

"Whilst I disagree with doing that to someone, it's a world away from rape."

"I'm just saying that Roger had reason to hate Albus and so all the years David spent with him Roger would have supported David in his own hate. David has other reasons though, the first time he saw Albus after the events we can't speak about, Albus attacked him, then Albus fixed his trial and then when David ended up in Azkaban he claims that Albus visited him several times and alluded to what had happened. Not to mention that the concept would be enforced if the rumours are true about what happens to 'unofficial' Azkaban inmates."

"He was a dark prisoner?"

Severus nodded slowly, "But he refuses to tell me about it. I don't think he realises that he was treated differently to the other inmates. From his reactions I would guess the rumours have some truth in them."

Remus shuddered and changed the subject. "Getting back to Albus, it could still be polyjuice."

"Yes, but the more times Albus was impersonated the more unlikely it becomes. The 'personal ingredient' added to the potion must have been harvested within a month of being added so whoever used it would have needed a constant supply over several months. Albus is wary of being impersonated and is very careful."

"It seems rather unfair to Albus not to hear his side of the story," said Remus. "I owe him a lot. He might only be guilty of failing to give Harry a fair trial. While in itself that is bad enough it is of a whole different magnitude to paedophilia." He thought for a few moments. "How does a secrecy vow passed through the mind ritual work - who can remove it?"

"I have been researching that. It can be removed in the normal way, by the person it was vowed to."

"When you use polyjuice potion does your magical signature change as well as your appearance? Because if it does, would not Albus be able to remove your vow even if he wasn't the person who it was actually given to?"

"Possibly, I would need to do some research. In case Albus is capable of the unthinkable I won't risk approaching him if I am not certain it would help. I'd best get started on some polyjuice potion. Don't mention this to David. It is possible that a person needs to believe that the person releasing them is the person who took the vow in the first place."

"Since you know what happened, you would be able to convince David that you were Albus and then release him from the vow."

"That is an idea which deserves considerable consideration. For now though don't try to talk David out of his beliefs. He needs your support and he will worry that you are going to betray him if he thinks that you don't believe him."

"Severus, how have you managed not to tell Albus anything about David for all this time? When I'm in his presence I get an almost overwhelming desire to trust him and it is difficult to hang on to the idea that I mustn't."

"Try holding in your mind the idea that if this were to come out in the wrong way it would be damaging for Albus himself, that way you're not telling him because you trust him." Remus looked doubtful so Severus continued, "I know the logic is twisted, but it does help. I have yet to track down how Albus generates his 'trust me' aura or even if he consciously does so. It's a problem I muse over from time to time. As a Slytherin I admire the ability."

By Halloween David almost had a full teaching schedule with all the one-to-one sessions he was running for magical repression. In a way it did not matter since with the Hermione situation he was keen to be in the castle as much as he could, but he did have some of his own projects he wanted to work on. Perhaps once Hermione's attacker(s) were found he would be able to do something about it.

David was decidedly uncomfortable as he sat between Severus and Remus at the Halloween feast. Halloween had never been a good day for him, well perhaps his first Halloween aged three months had been, he would have to ask Remus about that. On his second Halloween Voldemort had killed his adoptive parents and tried to kill him. The Dursleys had always been in foul tempers on that day each year. Dudley would throw tantrums because they did not allow him to go trick-or-treating with his friends. Dudley had no real wish to dress up, but he had a huge interest in all the sweets he could gain by doing so. 

David wondered whether perhaps Petunia was upset by the anniversary of her sister's death; he hoped she had enough humanity to grieve for her. Petunia and Vernon were in foul moods due to the 'unnaturalness' of the holiday and the number of people about dressed like witches. Then once Hogwarts had started Halloween had been seen as a celebration, but a battle with a troll, being blamed for a petrified cat, a mass murderer knifing the Fat Lady and the name 'Harry Potter' coming out of the goblet of fire had all banished his enjoyment of the event. Halloween in Azkaban could not have been good either, not that he could remember what he did on that day but he knew it would not have been pleasant. The time he spent in the realm of the dead did not have days or years to count by so he had not had an enjoyable Halloween feast there either. David did not think this year would be any different; it was just a question of what was going to happen.

As it was the feast went without a hitch, unless you count a couple of small explosions in the region of the current top trouble makers, a quartet of third year Gryffindors. The headmaster simply smiled benignly at them and commenting to the rest of the school that that was what happened when you tried to let Peeves through the wards into the great hall. David's eyes had automatically flicked to Hermione to check that she was not in danger when the noise occurred. It had increased his anxiety and his stress levels were such that the food he was eating seemed tasteless.

Once the meal was over David and Remus left Hogwarts for London. They were spending the rest of the evening with Sirius to mark the anniversary of James and Lily's murders. It would be the first opportunity for the three of them to mark it together. Remus had persuaded Sirius into a routine of remembrance after watching him grow extremely melancholic and self destructive around the date a couple of years after he escaped from Azkaban when they had been living in the Order's headquarters.

The three wizards apparated to the cemetery where the Potters were buried. For David and Sirius it was the first time they had seen the graves so Remus led the way. Sirius clenched his fists and gave a wordless howl of anger as his eyes ran over the double headstone. David followed his gaze and saw a depiction of a wolf, stag and rat carved at the base of the stone.

"It was my doing," said Remus softly. "I didn't know any better at the time."

"I could fix it if you want," offered David hesitantly.

"You can't," said Remus. "I used to work for an undertaker. Headstones are charmed to resist vandalism. The carving can't be changed after it has been set."

David frowned. "I managed with Dad's alright. It can't hurt to try. Would you like me to Remus, Sirius?"

"Get rid of the rat," said Sirius.

"And add a dog and a cat," suggested Remus.

David stepped forward and knelt on the ground in front of the headstone. He pressed his hands over the image and forced it to change. The two other wizards waited patiently until he had finished and stepped back to join them to admire his handiwork. The rat had gone and instead there was a carving of a dog, a stag and a wolf running in unison with a small kitten looking on.

"Much better," said Remus. The three wizards stood still for a while having their own silent conversations with their dead friends. After a quarter of an hour Remus decided he needed to call an end to his friends' reminiscences before they started to wallow in grief. They apparated back to Grimmauld Place and ended up in the sitting room with a bottle of firewhiskey. 

The sombre mood was broken when David choked on his firewhiskey and Sirius laughed. "Anyone would think that you hadn't had alcohol before," he commented.

"I've had wine," said David defensively, "how was I supposed to know this was entirely different?"

"Just sip it," Remus advised smiling. David recovered and tried again. This time he did not choke as the liquid burned his throat, but he was not sure he enjoyed it either. Perhaps firewhiskey was like wine; an acquired taste. Deciding the time was right; he stretched out his hand and conjured a mist in the space between himself and the other two who were sharing a sofa. The mist coalesced into the figures of James and Lily.

"They gave me a message for the two of you," explained David to Sirius who had not seen him do this before. He leaned back in his armchair and allowed the voices to wash over him as he sipped his drink. As the mist faded there came a crash in the hallway followed by muffled screams. Neither Sirius nor Remus seemed concerned. "Don't you hear that?" asked David tentatively as he got up and approached the door.

"Don't worry yourself," said Sirius dismissively, "that's just Tonks tripping over in the hall. She does it all the time, she'll be fine."

"What about the screaming?"

"That's the portrait of my darling mother. She's a tad annoyed that I own the house now. She did something to the portrait and it won't come off the wall. Tonks knows how to shut her up though. It'll be quiet soon."

"I could take a look at the portrait if you want," said David. "Even if I couldn't get it off the wall I think I know enough about how the paints are animated to be able to reverse the process and turn it into a static picture. The image would no longer be able to speak." At their stunned looks he explained further, "Lily made me do an artist's apprenticeship."

"You could do that?" asked Sirius all thoughts off the Potters momentarily forgotten.

"I could try."

"What are we waiting for?" asked Sirius bursting out of his chair and out of the room. David and Remus followed at a more sedate pace. They found Tonks in the hallway struggling with a pair of black curtains trying to cover up Mrs Black's portrait and get her to stop screeching.

"Let me try Tonks," said David as he took the curtains from her and reopened them. "Mrs Black, I apprenticed under Victor Graftner so I am more than capable of removing your animation and returning you to your original static form. Whether I do so or not is up to your son."

Sirius stepped forward smirking, "So Mother what will it be - will you be polite to my friends and me or shall we be saying goodbye. Oh there is a third option, tell us how to remove you from the wall and I might consider sending you to dear cousin Cissy."

"You filthy blood-traitor and your half-breed friends, you forget who you're talking to. I have no intention of leaving my own home."

"Very well Mother Dearest," said Sirius sarcastically, "as you insist on being rude." He nodded to David who raised his hands and skimmed them over the portrait mumbling to himself with his eyes closed as he concentrated on feeling and manipulating it's magic. As his three companions looked on in amazement Mrs Black's shrieks stopped abruptly as she froze.

"The data used is still in the paint, all I've removed are the final spells that animate the image. If you ever want to bring her back it can be done by any experienced artist. It would be an insult to the painter to otherwise vandalise the composition," said David turning round.

"So Tonks, fancy joining us for a drink to celebrate the old bat's final demise?" asked Sirius. "I'll go and get the twins down too."

Not long after the inhabitants of the house were gathered in the sitting room glasses in hand watching a couple of fireworks that the twins had 'been saving for the right occasion.' David was sprawled in his armchair the alcohol making him happily fuzzy as he yawned widely every so often.

"So David, you apprenticed under Graftner?" asked Remus. "You never mentioned you painted."

"Lily thought I needed a creative outlet, she did not agree with Roger and James that quidditch was enough. Do you paint?"

"A little, I sketch mostly but I took up painting again this year. I've had to teach myself though from books."

"I'm no expert but I'd be happy to pass on some techniques if you want. Perhaps when we both have a bit more time, like over the holidays?"

"I'll look forward to it."

"So David," said Fred.

"You can heal…" continued George.

"You can paint and get rid of annoying portraits…"

"You're an expert on the dark arts…"

"And you can tame dragons."

"Is there anything you can't do?"

David yawned contentedly. "Yes," he mumbled, "I can't dance for toffee. I'm - aw - going to have to learn, I just haven't got around to it yet."

"You know Remus is an excellent dancer," said Tonks suggestively. "I'm sure he'd be happy to teach you."

David blinked at her, "Good, glad to hear it." He yawned again. "I think I'd better go to bed, I can hardly keep my eyes open."

"I'll show you the way," said Sirius hospitably before the twins could get David at their mercy. He guided the younger man up the stairs and along a corridor to a bedroom, pointing out the location of the nearest bathroom on his way. David managed to retrieve his shrunken bag from his pocket and return it to its normal size, retrieve his pyjamas and make it into bed before he succumbed to slumber.

Sirius made his way back downstairs shaking his head. It was only a little after ten. He had thought at first that David had been embarrassed by Tonks's comment about Remus but the boy did seem genuinely tired. Perhaps it was the alcohol; he was obviously a bit of a lightweight. Sirius rejoined his friends and cast a silencing charm around the room so that they would not disturb David. The twins were setting up another round of indoor fireworks and Tonks was interrogating Remus on the progress so far of 'Operation - Get David.' Sirius refilled his glass and joined in the good humoured teasing of his school friend.

They chattered good naturedly as they drank their firewhiskey and Tonks was in the middle of relaying a rumour about Fudge being caught in a compromising position with one of his undersecretaries when Remus froze with his glass half way to his lips. He had been growing more and more uneasy over the last quarter of an hour. He put his glass down and stood up. "I'll be back in a minute," he said as he walked out the room. He had a gut feeling something was very wrong with his soul-mate. Once he got into the hall the screams hit him. He could not make out the words but the person making them was obviously terrified. His first thought was that David was being attacked, but he dismissed that; firstly nobody else could have got into the house, and secondly if someone had they would be silencing David or have put a silencing charm up. No, David was probably having a nightmare. Remus ran up the stairs and towards the young man's room. 


	21. Drink Up

20.Drink up

Remus easily located the room in which David was in by the noise he was making. David was rigid, his fists clenched, but it was obvious that he had been thrashing about earlier since his blankets were tangled round his legs half off the bed.

"David! David! Wake up!" called Remus loudly, but he got no response. Seeing no other option he moved closer and shook David's shoulder. "David, you've got to wake up." David continued to scream in agony and did not register the contact. In desperation Remus found himself reaching out to David with his mind and begging him to wake up. Somehow it worked. Remus felt David's body go limp and at the same time his hoarse screams ceased and his eyes flew open.

"You're safe," Remus reassured him, "you're in Sirius's house. It was just a bad dream. It wasn't real."

David shook his head slightly and then winced, gagged and lurched to lean over the side of his bed before retching violently and emptying the contents of his stomach onto the floor. Remus banished the vomit and transfigured the clock on the bedside table into a mug which he filled with water from his wand. He gently propped David into a sitting position, perched on the bed and helped him drink since his arms were twitching too much to manage to hold the mug on his own.

"Thanks," David murmured after he had gulped down half the water. "I'm sorry for waking you."

"You didn't," said Remus. "It's not even midnight yet. How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been trampled by a dragon while under a jelly legs jinx and a woodpecker has taken up residence on my skull. I lost count after the third cruciatus."

"David, it was just a dream. The pain is in your mind," said Remus soothingly as he brushed David's hair back from his sweaty forehead. He froze as a bloody lightning bolt cut was revealed.

"Your scar!" he croaked in surprise.

David sighed heavily. "Remus, when Voldemort tried to kill me he left me with more than a scar, I'm connected to him. I healed the scar but the connection is still there. I can feel when he is near by, or particularly emotional and sometimes I have visions of what he is doing. When he casts the cruciatus curse while I am having a vision I feel the curse. It can reopen the scar. He was a bit wand happy this evening. I think he's still at it so I am extremely grateful that you woke me up before I lost my sanity. I'll be able to heal the scar again in the morning."

Remus, who had paled considerably as he listened to David's explanation, asked tentatively, "So Voldemort's back?"

"No," said David firmly. "Not yet, but it won't be much longer. They mentioned Christmas, so I think that could be when they are planning to do the resurrection." As David was speaking the door bell sounded. Remus raised his wand and sent a message to Sirius.

"They won't have heard it," he explained. "Sirius put up a silencing charm around the sitting room so that we wouldn't disturb you." David nodded, but did not comment on why Remus had come to wake him. He had no intention of alerting Remus to their soul-mate bond, hopefully Remus had not realised its existence; he had not mentioned it so far at least. There were sounds of a kafuffle downstairs followed by Sirius and Severus appearing in the doorway.

"Vision?" asked Severus as he strode in and started taking phials of potions out of his bag and putting them on the bedside table.

"Yes," said David weakly, his eyes crossing as he tried to focus on Severus and his arms still twitching on top of his blankets. "Voldie's debut. They planned his resurrection, tortured and killed Peter followed by cruciatus all round. Headache, nausea, muscle spasms and difficulty concentrating."

Severus started pouring potions down David's throat, swatting away his trembling hands as they tried to help. "Pettigrew's dead?" asked Sirius processing what David had said. David nodded almost spilling the potion Severus was trying to feed him. Severus scowled grabbed hold of his head to keep him still while he finished.

"Questions can wait until tomorrow Black," he ordered selecting another phial. David gagged on the contents and brought his hands up to move it away as he tried to turn his head but Severus was still holding it. "I know it tastes foul," said Severus uncharacteristically sympathetic, "but you must drink it." David continued to shy away. Remus tried to come to terms with the concept of Severus sounding sympathetic while being bombarded with fear through the soul-mate bond. "Hold him still Lupin," Severus ordered as he poured the rest of the potion into David's mouth before covering his mouth and nose to force him to swallow.

"You bastard!" cursed David weakly as soon as he could speak. "You need to make me vomit it up quickly! Didn't you think that perhaps there was a good reason I didn't want to swallow that? I could taste the moldwart seeds. I've got ferngrass in my system." His skin was starting to turn blue in patches as he spoke.

"What the hell are you doing ingesting ferngrass?" asked Severus as forced his fingers down his son's throat make him throw up pulling him to lean over the side of the bed so that he would not end up covered in the contents of David's stomach as he retched. Vanishing the mess once the retching stopped he helped David lie back down. His face had bright blue patches.

"It's still in his system," declared Severus as the patches spread and David's eyes rolled up in his head. "We need to get him to St Mungo's."

"We can't," said Remus sweeping David's hair away from his forehead to reveal his scar. "There'll be too many questions asked."

"Black," said Severus, "do you have a stocked potions lab?" Remus would have laughed if the situation was not so serious. Severus was speaking to Sirius without insulting him.

"The twins converted the attic into a lab for their business. I don't know what kind of ingredients they have stocked though." Sirius returned the favour and did not point out that the mess was mainly Severus's fault.

"It's worth a try," said Severus. "If they don't have what I need we'll have to take him to St Mungo's even if we have to skin his forehead first. Lupin, run a hot bath and keep him in it while I'm working. It'll give us an extra couple of hours. Don't use magic on him, even a levitation charm, it'll make things worse. If the blotches turn magenta get me immediately." Severus grabbed David's bag to see if there was a clue to what ferngrass containing potion he had been taking and the two black haired wizards left to find the twins. Remus thanked his lycanthropic induced strength as he picked up David and carried him over his shoulder in a fireman's lift towards the bathroom.

It turned out that the twins kept their laboratory well stocked with the common potions ingredients and several of the less common, if not downright illegal, ones. Severus explained that David had had a bad reaction to a potion but had a phobia of hospitals and so they needed to treat him without taking him to St Mungo's if they could. He had then drafted in Tonks who had been a former student of his and done very well in her potions NEWT (as she needed to do to become an auror) to help him. Fred and George also offered their services and after performing sobering charms on the whole lot of them Severus accepted and set them to work preparing ingredients. 

Meanwhile Severus investigated David's belongings and discovered the potions he carried around. Unsurprisingly there was a calming draft and a headache draft as many in the Wizarding World would possess. The two phials of revitalicorpus were no surprise either, but Severus hit the jackpot with the final phial of blood red sludge. It was simply labelled 'ex' but the sent of ferngrass was unmistakeable. Severus sniffed it thoughtfully closing his eyes to better concentrate on the mess of ingredients.

"Sirius?" asked Severus turning to his old rival and gesturing for him to accompany him outside the laboratory and out of earshot. "When I arrived you didn't know there was anything wrong with David, but Remus was already with him. I knew because of the parental bond, how did Remus know but you didn't?"

"David had gone to bed. We had a silencing charm up, but Remus started getting restless and then left. You're not going to like this Snape, but Remus and David are probably soul-mates."

To Sirius's surprise Severus did not hex him or start cursing, he simply looked very tired and nodded. "I think David knew," he said slowly, "I think the ferngrass came from an antianimamourus potion."

"The hypocritical brat!" exclaimed Sirius angrily. "He's been defending Remus at Hogwarts when people were dismissive of him as a werewolf and kept telling him that it's not the beast but the character that counts and yet he'd rather loose his own chance of being with his soul-mate as he needs to be to carry on his line, than marry a werewolf. I thought he cared about Remus; this is going to crush him."

Severus allowed Sirius to rant before putting his own view forward. "It's possible that that was not his motivation," he said. "I have performed the mind ritual with my son, and while he refuses to show me some of his memories, I know him better than you do, I do not think he is hypocritical. Also he was aware of an attempt at matchmaking the pair of them and asked me to help him disrupt it; he claimed he was not ready for a relationship so soon after Azkaban. I think you should reserve judgement until you talk to him." He continued hurriedly as Sirius started to speak again. "If you plan to lecture him on his idiocy and the selfishness of his actions you have my full support. I have a few choice words to say to him on the subject myself, but I think that this has more to do with his own low sense of self-worth than anything else. Once we've yelled at him we may well need to boost his self-esteem. And to think I used to call him arrogant." Sirius stared at him. "What? I can be insightful; it's useful for a spy. I can also be parental when I want to be."

"You care about him," said Sirius simply. "I don't think I'd realised that before."

"I'd hardly have stolen out of Hogwarts to be here tonight if I didn't. Who knows what my students are getting up to in my absence?"

"I can't say I like you," declared Sirius, "but David showed us a message earlier from James and he asked me to get along with you, and you do care about David and he said you'd tried to save his life several times, so I'm willing to try to start again." He extended his hand. "My name's Sirius Black."

"Severus Snape," said the other shaking his hand. "I wouldn't have chosen you to be his godfather if I didn't think we'd make up some day." Sirius looked shocked at the notion that it was Severus who had wanted him to be godfather. "Both of us were idiots in school, and the person you've known the last few years isn't really me either. It's my spy persona which became a mask to hide behind when I thought David had died. This summer we decided I'd keep it up until the Dark Lord is gone and then I'll be replaced by Severus Antirrhinum and be myself and nobody will connect the two names. Then I'll be free of the stigma of being a former Death Eater. Don't expect me to behave like I like you in public yet."

"I have no problem continuing to annoy you when anyone's watching. It'll be fun."

Severus rolled his eyes at the childishness and Sirius laughed at the uncharacteristic expression before both sobered up and walked back into the laboratory glaring like the schoolyard enemies they had once been. Now that Severus was pretty certain what David had been taking he could make a more specific antidote.

Remus sat David on the floor leaning against the wall as he filled the sunken bath with hot water. While it was running he tried to remove David's pyjamas but they wouldn't budge. The buttons on the shirt refused to undo and try as he might he could not remove the trousers either. Since he could not use magic he was unable to banish the garments although he had a sneaking suspicion that would not work either. It appeared David would be bathing fully clothed. He noticed a David was wearing a wooden ring which would definitely be damaged by the water, but that would not come off either. He was debating how to manoeuvre the unconscious wizard into the bath when Sirius arrived. 

"Severus banished me from the lab," he said. "He doesn't think much of my potion skills."

"Severus?" asked Remus with a raised eyebrow.

"We called a truce."

Remus smiled. "It seems Prongs succeeded where Albus couldn't. Now help me get him in the water."

After an explanation about the pyjamas followed by Sirius's own attempts to remove them both wizards removed their own robes and rolled up their sleeves and trouser legs to prevent them from getting wet before taking an end of David each and hefting him into the water. Remus kept hold of his shoulders and sat at the head of the bath his feet in the water holding David's head against his knees.

"That's going to be awfully uncomfortable in a few minutes," said Sirius.

"You have a better idea?"

"Yes, get in the bath. You can lean him against you. It'll be easier to keep him submerged too.

"We wouldn't have this problem if you had a normal bath instead of this large sunken puddle," grumbled Remus.

"Yes but the Blacks are special," said Sirius smirking. "This sunken menace was the in thing in pureblood circles when the house was built."

The hot water had started to affect David who was now partly conscious even if not coherent and was mumbling to himself about the importance of keeping lobsters away from pink jelly when polishing shoes and other nonsense. Sirius gestured between Remus and the bath expectantly.

"Not a chance," said Remus. "You do it. If David wakes up to find me sitting behind him he'll throw a fit."

"And he won't with me?" asked Sirius cynically.

"Unless there's something you haven't told me," said Remus. The blank look on Sirius's face made him realise he would have to explain further. "He won't mind as much because you're not gay." Sirius did not move. Remus coloured and fixed his eyes on the wall. "Stop being so obtuse. David's a rape victim and I'm attracted to him and have been completely hard since I carried him in here and the heat isn't exactly helping. If he wakes up and notices he'll freak out. Now get in the bath and take over before my back decides that being bent double is the way forward. It's starting to get quite painful."

Sirius bent down and tested the water with his hand. "I expect he'd be more comfortable if I keep my clothes on, but I can't in that heat," he said before striping down to his underwear and getting in the water. A few moments of awkward manoeuvring got him sitting against the wall of the bath with David's head against his shoulder and his arm around David's chest and his legs hooked over David's keeping him as submerged as possible. It was lucky that Sirius was the taller wizard by several inches. David was still muttering nonsense to himself as Remus stood up and stretched out his back and shoulders with a satisfying series of clicks.

"Remus, why don't you leave for a few minutes and cool off," suggested Sirius. "I'd be really grateful if you could bring me a cold drink back with you before the humidity gets to me. When you return you can also explain exactly what you meant by David being a rape victim."

Before Remus returned he came to the conclusion that it was vital Sirius not know who might, or might not if polyjuice had been used, have raped his godson. Sirius was likely to end up hexing Albus if he found out, proof of guilt be damned. He resolved to speak only in general terms. He also hoped that the fates were kind and David would not wake up to find himself being held in a bath by someone he could not see.

As it was Remus got his wish, David did not regain consciousness during the night. He discussed with Sirius ideas for finding out exactly what had happened to David. Sirius had the same idea that Remus and Severus had already been working on, to guess who he gave the vow to and use polyjuice to impersonate that person and get rid of it. Remus was forced to explain that while it was a good plan, they had been unable to test it because the secrecy vow interfered with Severus's ability to brew polyjuice. They believed that since Severus thought it would enable him to talk about those events against the will of the vow the vow forced him not to do it. Remus himself was not a competent enough potions maker. Sirius offered to give it a try, but he had not brewed anything for years either. He suggested that Tonks might help since she had got an O on her potions NEWT but Remus was against involving an outsider who might wonder why they wanted polyjuice, particularly if that outsider was an auror and therefore by nosy by profession.

An hour later David remained blissfully unaware as the antidote was forced down his throat, followed by second helpings of the potions he took earlier but had been lost with the rest of the contents of his stomach. Severus left hurriedly after seeing the blotches beginning to fade. He instructed Sirius to keep David in the bath until they disappeared completely before returning to Hogwarts in the hope that his absence had not been noticed. He promised to return the following day sharing a look with Sirius that told him to wait for him so that they could tackle David about trying to destroy his soul-mate bond together.

They finally got David out of the water and into his bed, having spelled him dry because his pyjamas still refused to budge. Remus left David a note on his bedside table to remind him about his scar and explain that they had locked him in so nobody could see it, while Sirius cast a charm to alert them both when he woke up. The two exhausted wizards made it to their own beds shortly after four in the morning. Both fell asleep as soon as their heads hit their pillows. 


	22. To Be a Coward

21.To be a Coward

Sirius was awoken about ten by a far too cheerful Tonks levitating a tray of breakfast for him. She breezed into his bedroom and told him in a remarkable impression of Molly Weasley that if he slept any later he would have trouble sleeping the coming night. His moans of protest were stopped by the welcome smell of the coffee she was bringing so instead of reaching for his wand and hexing her for disturbing is needed slumber he meekly thanked her and reached hungrily for the tray. His cousin excused herself to take a second tray to Remus and returned a few minutes later to perch on his bed and steal a piece of his toast.

"What time did you get to sleep last night?" she asked between bites.

"It wasn't too bad," said Sirius. "About six hours ago. It took a long time for the blue blotches to disappear and then it was really difficult to get him dry. Drying charms are for when you've been caught in the rain, not for going swimming in your clothes."

"Remus too embarrassed to strip him?" asked Tonks with a wink. "He's such a gentleman that one, its not like David would have a clue what he did to him. I expect he'll be out for several more hours at least."

"Actually no," said Sirius, not at all worried about ruining Tonks's favourable impression of his friend. "Remus was very keen on stripping him. Wrestled with his pyjamas for quite a while, but unfortunately it appears David spells his clothes so that only he can remove them."

A flicker of something crossed Tonks face before she said, "Well it probably helped. It would have kept the heat near his skin. So old Snapey turning up and then poisoning him. What was that all about?"

"Remus called him," said Sirius his eyes fixed on the toast he was buttering. "Then dear Snivelus decided David was trying to spit out one of his precious potions because he didn't like the flavour and forced it down his throat, held his nose and everything. The moment he let go David called him a bastard and told him why he didn't want it."

"Dumbledore firecalled this morning," said Tonks watching Sirius carefully for a reaction. "I told him I thought Remus had probably called Snape but that I didn't know why he had been needed - which is true I don't know what originally happened." Sirius was looking at her nonchalantly. "But I do know that Remus did not call Snape. There wasn't enough time between Remus leaving the celebrations and Snape arriving since he would have had to leave Hogwarts to apparate. David doesn't have any form of communications device on him so he didn't either. What? I'm an auror; it's second nature for me to be observant about these things and follow them up even when I'm half pissed. So are you going to tell me what was actually going on? The meeting must have been prearranged, yet I don't understand why they would half kill David only to work furiously to save him, the whole St Mungo's thing is odd and Dumbledore obviously thinks something fishy is going on. Not to mention what David did to your Mum's portrait. He didn't even use a wand; he could be making a fortune in the arts business yet he's teaching school kids DADA. So spill Cousin."

"Why do you need to know Tonks?" ask Sirius at length after deciding denying her reasoning would be pointless.

"Like I said, I'm an auror; it's in my nature to want to get to the bottom of things. I covered for you with Dumbledore so you owe me."

"What do you know about dark prisoners?"

"They don't exist," said Tonks firmly. "I went on a tour of Azkaban as part of my training. They're a myth used by…" Sirius was shaking his head sadly. "Surely you don't believe he was a dark prisoner?"

"Firstly, I spent years in Azkaban and you hear things from the wardens so I am pretty sure they exist. Secondly Snape is a legimense and he believes David. Thirdly the way David behaves supports it."

"The pyjamas and social unease."

"Exactly. But it is vital that you don't tell anyone. Dark prisoners aren't released and David wasn't; he escaped."

"You know as an auror it's my duty to arrest him if he's an escapee," said Tonks, but she was smiling.

"Yes, but you said it yourself dark prisoners don't exist so he can't have escaped," said Sirius returning the grin.

"You still haven't explained what happened last night."

"David is close to Snape. He had some kind of nightmare or flashback or something and Snape must have a monitoring charm of some sort on him. Remus would have heard David screaming as soon as he left the room which was why he was there. Then as you know Snape poisoned him and I ended up spending the night being pickling him in a hot bath. But being serious, we're trying to get David to trust wizards again, which after what's happened to him is a slow process, so it's vital you keep anything 'odd' you notice to yourself."

"You have my silence," Tonks assured him, "but I may well do some research into Azkaban to see if there are any other dark prisoners who shouldn't exist. Oh, I almost forgot the message I was supposed to give you. Dumbledore said that Snape would be here about one-thirty."

"There is something you could help us with," said Sirius. "We need some polyjuice potion."

"Why?"

"David's under a secrecy vow about how he ended up as a dark prisoner. We think we have worked out who he gave it to and we are hoping that if we polyjuice someone for that person we can release the vow. Then we will be able to publicise what happened to him and prevent it from happening to anyone else."

"I assume there must be a reason why Severus can't supply it, but anyway between ourselves, it wouldn't work. Nice idea, but it's been tried before. If there was a way to break secrecy vows the aurors would know. Finding out whom it was given to is a good start but all you can do is force that person to remove it. If you believe it was done to cover up a crime then you can request the aurors examine the pair and use the imperious curse to force a retraction. That's the best that I can suggest."

"Given the cover up we suspect, going to the aurors officially is not an option. I think we'll have to resort to underhand trickery."

David woke up feeling extremely stiff and sore. The room he was in was completely unfamiliar and it took him a few moments to remember where he was, and then what had happened the previous night. "Well I'm still alive which is something," he thought as he gazed around the room. The walls were covered with quidditch posters and the curtains and bedspread were in Gryffindor colours. It reminded him greatly of the den James had suggesting that his adoptive father's childhood bedroom was probably similar. Either Sirius was entering his second childhood, or he had gone to some trouble for David's visit. David propped himself up gingerly on an elbow and looked around for his belongings but there was no sign of them. "Bugger," he cursed out loud. That meant his father had probably found the source of the ferngrass. If he had told Sirius of his discovery David would be for it. His eyes lighted on the note on the bedside table. He had got to the part reminding him that his scar was visible but he was not to attempt to heal it on an empty stomach when the door opened.

Sirius walked in with David's bag. "How're you feeling?" he asked.

"Sore," said David truthfully searching Sirius's face for an indication that he was angry about the antianimamourus potion, "but also in awe of the fact that I'm alive but not in a holding cell."

Sirius's expression was neutral. "We're lucky the twins have a lab set up in the attic. Severus was able to make the antidote. Everyone dangerous is out of the house so you can join us downstairs. We've kept some lunch for you." David swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up slowly. Sirius offered him his bag. "Will you be okay or do you need any help dressing?" Before he had finished the question David's pyjamas had been replaced by jeans and a t-shirt. "Obviously not, wish I could do that."

David smirked. "Being a zia has its advantages," he said as he clicked his fingers and a jumper appeared over the t-shirt.

"But not enough to keep you on your own two feet," said Sirius dryly as David stumbled into him as he tried to walk to the door. He stubbornly refused Sirius's offered support and made his own way slowly down to the kitchen before half collapsing into a chair at the table, not really taking in who else was present as he concentrated on stilling the tremors in his limbs. A plate of sandwiches was pushed towards him and David murmured his thanks before eating greedily if a bit clumsily as his fingers struggled to obey his commands.

"How are you feeling Harry?" asked Tonks. David's eyes went wide as he spun his head round towards her choking slightly on his food. "It's okay," she assured him, "I don't plan on telling anyone who you are."

"It's David," he insisted.

"Keeping secrets when you live with an auror who also happens to be your cousin is difficult," said Sirius apologetically. "Tonks knew something was going on and when Severus arrived she let him legimense her to see how much she knew and it turned out she had it mostly worked out. We thought it was include her in the secret and ask for her help than let her work the rest out on her own."

"Everything?"

"That you are Harry, but not the details."

"And you're willing to help me?"

"What happened to you was wrong in so many ways. You should have been given a fair trial. As a child you should never have been sent to Azkaban even if you were guilty. That nobody tried to find the Dursleys and that Dumbledore was part of the conspiracy makes it worse. I am curious though how nobody realised you were a metamorphmagus at school."

"Probably because I didn't know myself. I managed to grow my hair once, when Aunt Petunia half shaved it off. She never gave me a hair cut after that incident and having been punished for growing it back I did not like to mention that it never again needed to be cut. It was just another freakish thing about me which I knew not to talk about. I just thought all wizards were able to have their hair the length they wanted by magic." He regarded Tonks thoughtfully and requested permission to enter her mind himself. She gave it, slightly surprised that he had the ability, and he gently probed her thoughts. "Sirius I think you should introduces us properly," said David once he had finished.

"Nymphadora Tonks, may I present your second cousin David Roger Severus Godric Antirrhinum, Lord Crimson." Sirius paused and then added conspiratorially, "Known to his close friends as Sooty."

Tonks seemed more worried by the idea that David was called Sooty than the notion that he was one of the most powerful magically and politically, members of wizarding Britain. She wondered aloud on the manner of their relationship, since she had never heard that she was related to the Crimson House.

"We share Bolder great grandparents," explained David. "It's the Bolder heritage which has given both of us metamorphmagus abilities. I know Sirius grew up hearing about how a Bolder zia married into the Black family but I do not know whether you were aware you had zia relations."

"I remember meeting Great Uncle Douglas when I was little. He taught me my first metamorphosis. It was only after he died that I found out he was Lord Bolder though."

"He was my grandfather; I am his only living male descendant but am not descended from him maternally I cannot rule the Bolder House. Most of the Bolder holdings reverted to the monarchy, but I did inherit the more personal items. I do not want the Lestranges or Malfoys to get their hands on them, but perhaps you and your father would like to pick some things out?"

Tonks seemed a bit doubtful, but Sirius encouraged her saying that he had sorted through most of the items himself and some of them would come in very handy for an auror and would be no loss to David since he had the corresponding Crimson ones.

"We should discuss David's vision," said Severus returning them to business.

"Um right," said David. "Voldemort's got a temporary body, like he did before, so it won't be long before he comes back. They mentioned Christmas so it's possible that they are planning on his resurrection then. Last night was about loyalty and the need to serve him well. Peter Pettigrew was tortured and then killed because he let Severus destroy Voldemort's body."

Severus nodded. "It was Pettigrew who called me to tend the Dark Lord. He would have realised being associated with the Dark Lord loosing his body yet again was a death sentence. I imagine he's been on the run ever since."

"They found him," said David. He shivered with the memory. "Nobody deserves what they did to him. Father you've got to be really careful. Now that they've caught Pettigrew they know for sure what you did and that you did not take responsibility as a ruse to keep you out of Azkaban. They'll renew their efforts to catch you."

"The only places other than Hogwarts I plan on going are here and Lions' Den. I can floo between so I should never be exposed. I just have to persuade Albus that I shouldn't supervise Hogsmead visits."

"I think Crimson needs to send a message to Albus anyway. If the Death Eaters plan on resurrecting Voldemort they will need the blood of an enemy and that probably means abducting a member of the Order. He needs to alert them. We can include the death of Peter and the danger you're in too."

"What about the horcruxes? Have you managed to locate them Sirius?" asked Severus.

"I've found three of the items you described," Sirius said, "but I can't find Slytherin's locket. The three I've got are safe and I'm waiting on you to present them to Albus or destroy them."

"I'll include that in Crimson's message."

"Dumbledore is very interested in both David and Lord Crimson," said Tonks. "He has Kingsley and me quietly investigating both of them. If you send this message his interest will probably increase."

"I don't think we can avoid that," said Remus. "None of the rest of us has reason to have the information. It is plausible that since Crimson would be targeted if Voldemort returned that he is keeping an eye on what's happening."

"Agreed," said David as he finished off his last sandwich. "If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'm getting a bit fed up with these tremors. I need to do some healing." He stood up and staggered towards the doorway.

"Use the sitting room," Sirius called after him. "You'll never make it up the stairs. I'll fetch your potion for you."

David entered the sitting room and lay down on the carpet. Core healing was easiest when the body was relaxed so the patient was normally horizontal. Small injuries could be healed without that but for a system wide problem, like the nerve problems from the cruciatus curse which were causing his tremors, a relaxed body was essential.

David opened his eyes having restored his body to its pre-vision health and sat up slowly so as not to get dizzy. His father was standing over him and handed him his green restorative potion. David thanked him, sniffed it to make sure he would not be poisoned again and downed it before standing up himself.

"Sit," ordered his father pointing to a chair. The furniture had been rearranged so that there were three chairs in a triangle, with two facing the third. David sat down and found himself facing his father and godfather. Neither looked pleased and he realised that the lecture he had been expecting since he woke up was about to happen. They were sitting down and appeared ready to talk about it instead of tying him up and hexing him so he supposed that was a good sign.

Both older wizards stared at their charge for a long time. David's life with the Dursleys had conditioned him not to squirm or speak when his guardians were displeased so in the end it was his father who spoke first. "I would like to apologise for poisoning you," he said. David was completely nonplussed by this approach. His father was obviously angry with him, yet he was the one apologising. "It is standard medical procedure to inform a patient what the potions he is drinking are or if he is unconscious to check his bloodstream for possible reactions but I did neither. I forced you despite your protests to drink something you knew would harm you and I ask your forgiveness."

"You didn't mean me harm," said David wondering where this was going. "I think you just forgot that I know my potions."

"You're right," agreed his father sighing. "Seeing you last night with a lightning bolt cut into your forehead, despite your red hair I found it difficult to remember that you were not the self-centred arrogant brat I used to teach who disliked the taste of my potions. I am used to being obeyed and I thought you were just being awkward."

"Those of us who know who you are find it difficult at times to remember that you are an adult, particularly when you do something idiotic like taking antianimamourus potion," said Sirius.

"How many days did you take it?" asked Severus.

"Ten. I had seven doses to go. Though I'll have to start from scratch now won't I since I can't take any ferngrass for at least forty-eight hours."

"That, and I've disposed of the sludge down the drain," agreed Severus.

"I assume you know how serious the penalty for breaking the bond could be? Explain why you did it," ordered Sirius.

David looked between them pleadingly. "I can explain, but I can't explain to Sirius; you won't understand after what happened to you."

"You know about Elsa," said Sirius softly. David nodded. "You know about Elsa and yet you still took the potion? What the hell were you thinking?" He was shouting now. "What's so wrong about Remus that you would do that to him? If it had been Fudge or that giggling idiot Lockhart, or even Snape here, forgetting the fact that it would be incestuous, I might be able to understand but Remus? What is it about him that you hate so much?"

David had sunk back into his chair as if trying to increase the distance between himself and his irate godfather as said wizard yelled at him. "Is his age the problem?" asked Severus. Sirius shot him a surprised look. "For muggles spouses with twenty years between them are frowned upon, but wizards have a much longer lifespan, as a zia you may well reach your bicentenary."

"I knew that and there's nothing wrong with him," said David miserably. "That is the whole problem. I have to release him from the bond. He's completely out of my league; I can't give him what he deserves."

Sirius looked about to laugh, but was controlled himself after a glare from Severus. "David," said Sirius as if he was explaining how to add two and two, "you're one of the most powerful wizards in the country, the queen herself took tea and cakes with you on your last birthday and you were featured in the Witch Weekly 'Eligible Bachelor' column even though no witch would stand a chance with a zia. Their artist's impression of what you look like was hilarious but I digress. Added to this you own a substantial amount of the country. Explain the 'out of my league' comment for me?"

"Since when did you care about social position or wealth?" snarled David. "I thought you left your family because they couldn't see past such pureblood attitudes."

"Fine," said Severus amused. "Shall we move on to the more intangible list? Tell anyone that I complemented the 'boy-who-lived' and I'll poison you for real." He gave the other two a mock glare. "You're a true Gryffindor," he said with fake distaste, "brave, noble and annoyingly inclined to defend the weak. Aside from the clichés you have risked your life for others on several occasions, despite everything you've been through you refuse to become a dark lord and rule the world or take out your righteous anger by torturing a few muggles. You are kind, for the most part courteous, patient, hardworking and highly intelligent."

"Don't forget great at chess and good with animals," said Sirius smirking.

"Stop," protested David. "You're making things worse. Whatever else I am, I am broken. I'm paranoid. I'm uncomfortable in crowds. I get claustrophobic. I find it difficult to be near people and physical contact almost impossible. I have panic attacks and lash out when I feel threatened or had you forgotten that I threw Remus into a wall during the summer?"

"I think you're afraid," said Sirius. "You've only had yourself to rely on most of your life and you're scared of letting anyone get close to you. I know you've performed the mind ritual with Severus but you refuse to let him choose what he sees. You talk to us about destroying Voldemort and the trivialities of everyday life but never about your own hopes, dreams and fears." David was not meeting his eye, but neither was he rising to the bait so Sirius upped the ante. "You're afraid of what we'll think of you if you let us know who you truly are. You say over and over that you want people to like you; not the Crimson Lord nor the boy-who-lived and yet you hide behind those titles afraid to let them know you. In Remus you have the offer of a soul-mate, someone who will know you better than you know yourself, but you're too much of a coward to accept what he's offering you." Sirius could see David's eyes smouldering in anger as he threw his last barb. "Godric must be ashamed of a descendant and protégé such as you. You're no Gryffindor." He spat the last word keeping his expression the image of disgust and hoped that he had judged the prodding David required correctly.

"Don't call me a coward Sirius!" David exploded at him. "I faced dementors both with a wand and unarmed in order to save your life. I've faced Voldemort five times. You may have lasted longer in Azkaban than I did but that does not give you the right to call me a coward."

"Prove him wrong," said Severus. "Explain to Lupin what you did and why, and if at the end he still wants you then acknowledge the bond."

"What are you waiting for?" asked Sirius. "He's in the library. Unless you haven't got the guts…" David glared at him and stalked out of the room.

"I should return to Hogwarts," said Severus after David had left.

"You should, but wouldn't you like to hear their conversation? Tonks has some of the extendable ears that the twins have invented. They're very handy for eavesdropping."

"You could say it is our duty as concerned guardians to chaperone such a conversation lest it become violent or too romantic," reasoned Severus.

"We're of one mind," said Sirius. He pulled a face. "I never thought I'd say that to you. You're a greasy git not a fellow conspirator."

"Whatever you say Black, I love you too," said Severus as they left the room. Sirius banged his head against the wall of the corridor several times.

"I think I preferred it when I hated you," he moaned.

Remus had not been warned about the nature of the conversation that David was going to have with him although he knew that Sirius and Severus had been planning on talking to him about some potion he had been taking which had caused the drama of the night before. He had come to the conclusion that David had been doping himself on something, given how angry the two men had seemed with him, but Sirius had suggested that it would be best for him to keep out of their discussion unless he wanted David to start seeing him as a parental figure. So Remus had retreated to the library to keep out of their way. He curled up on the sofa with his bare feet tucked under him and a large tome propped up on his lap. He read very little, his thoughts drifting frequently to the conversation occurring elsewhere in the house. When David came in and asked to talk to him Remus readied himself to be sympathetic but not to condone his actions. It was after all quite understandable that someone who had been through what David had been through would turn to illicit potions, but with his position at Hogwarts he had to be stopped. As it was the turn of the conversation took him by surprise.

David began by asking Remus to let him say his piece without interruption because what he wanted to say was difficult and he did not know whether he could finish if he stopped. Remus had agreed so when David explained about the antianimamourus potion and why he had taken it and tried to persuade him that it would be a good idea for him to continue to take it, Remus just sat in front of him with a neutral expression. He had known and come to love David long before he knew David was Harry. Once the revelation had been made he had backed off to give the young man space thinking he would need time to come to see Remus as a prospective lover rather than a former teacher. He felt his distancing could have subconsciously fuelled David's belief that he would be happier without the soul-bond.

When David had finally finished presenting his reasons for wanting to break the soul-bond Remus spoke. There was one point he needed to clarify since he had his own issues about self-worth, though it appeared not as many as David. "Has my lycanthropy been a factor in this at any level?" he asked and watched David intently as he replied.

"No," David said firmly. "I have told you before that the lycanthropy is a non-issue with me. I can't claim to be completely human either."

Remus regarded him thoughtfully for a while. "What if I don't want to get rid of the bond?" He cut off David's protests. "It should be a joint decision shouldn't it? Since it affects both of us?"

"I think that's what Sirius was trying to make me see when he manipulated me into confronting you," admitted David.

"I think it would be foolish to destroy the bond," said Remus evenly. "You said last night that Voldemort was still casting the cruciatus curse when I woke you up. If I hadn't you could have sustained permanent damage. We had a silencing charm up to stop us disturbing you; I only knew that something was wrong because of the bond. Even if Severus had arrived in time we would not have heard the doorbell so he would not have been able to help you. Think about what could have happened without the bond."

"I can't let you keep the bond just in case I'm in trouble."

"There's no 'let' about it," said Remus firmly. "Besides it's a mutual benefit. Being bonded to a zia I get a very powerful wizard alerted if I'm ever in trouble."

"But you deserve the chance to have relationships with people maybe even have a family some day if you want, biological or not. You love teaching and I can't take both that and the chance of raising your own family away from you. I will have to assume more duties after I've officially 'left school' next summer and if you became Sire Crimson you'd not have the time to hold a regular job as well. And I have already explained that I have a celibate lifestyle."

"When you say that, you say it resignedly. You haven't embraced celibacy it has been forced upon you," said Remus gently. "If the events when you were fourteen hadn't happened, if you had not gone to Azkaban nor spent years in the realms of the dead would you still have become a celibate?"

"Why is not important, the fact remains that that is how I am."

"Do you think you will always be like that?"

"I hope not," said David. "I didn't realise it was part of me until I apparated Charlie from Romania to the Burrow and found I could hardly bear to touch him while I did so. Then when Molly was trying to set me up with a 'nice young witch or wizard' I knew I couldn't cope with that, but I hoped I just needed to get more comfortable with people. When I threw you into the wall and broke some of your bones I realised that I would be living a celibate lifestyle for a while. Being in close proximity to Albus doesn't help matters. My hope is that over time I will get more comfortable with people and one day I will feel able to attempt to be intimate with someone but I can't let you wait around for something that could never happen."

"I told you before; there is no 'let' about it. Think about whom you are and what you have accomplished. Think about how well we work together and how well we get on in the free time we spend together." He went into professor mode. "It's a common misnomer that the soul-bond causes people to fall in love with each other. In reality it indicates that two people are well suited to supporting each other through life and helps them do so by alerting each when the other particularly needs them. As you know, in the case of the zias, a soul-bond is required for offspring to be produced. The bond can manifest a sense of closeness and understanding and a need to be near the other person as well as a physical attraction for that person, but it can't force someone to be in love. There is no magic that can do that, so called 'love potions' create lust and dependence not love. But I love you David, and I think you are so keen to release the bond because you love me. Am I right?"

David did not answer right away. He considered what Remus had said carefully before replying, "I don't know. I haven't much experience with love, but I do want what's best for you regardless of what happens to me, the same as I did for Sirius when I made my Wilfred's choice. Is it enough?"

"Do you feel that way about Draco Malfoy or a random person you meet in the street?" asked Remus. David shook his head. "Then it is enough," Remus assured him. "Will you formally acknowledge the bond? Do you understand what will happen if we do?"

"I can't persuade you to break it instead?"

"No."

"But you don't mind about the celibacy thing?"

"I do mind, but," Remus considered his words carefully, "I share your hope that it isn't permanent and I will not force you into intimacy that you are uncomfortable with."

David stood up and walked over to the sofa, he crossed his arms just above the wrists and held his hands out to Remus who looked a bit surprised but stood up and took them, left in left and right in right so David's arms crossed but Remus's did not. "I acknowledge and claim you as my soul's other half," they said in unison. Instead of releasing David's hands immediately Remus pulled the younger man forward and into a hug before kissing him lightly on the cheek. 

"A kiss is traditional," Remus said as he released his soul-mate, "and I am extremely grateful you didn't break my bones this time."

"We should probably go and inform the rest of the household," said David.

"No need," snorted Remus. "Tonks had some extendable ears earlier; I expect she and Sirius were eavesdropping all along. I'm not sure about Severus though he and Sirius called a truce last night but I can't quite imagine him using a Weasley invention."

"Moony you're underestimating my powers of corruption," said Sirius as he threw the door open. "Although I give you nine out of ten for deduction about the extendables."

"Only nine Padfoot?"

"You were unsure about Severus, come on in Sevvie-baby…" Sirius did not get to complete his request as he was hit by a well placed tickling hex and the need to laugh and catch his breath became more urgent.

"Well Black," said Severus in full intimidating potions master mode, "what have you learnt?" He countered the hex to allow his adversary to reply. 

"That if I'm going to call you by your nickname I need to make sure you're not in earshot when I do so," said Sirius cheekily.

Severus glowered at him for old time's sake before turning to Remus and welcoming him into the family. "You should call me 'Father' now," he mused, "but seeing as you're only two months younger than me I think it would confuse people."

"Is that the Crimson promise ring?" asked Tonks snatching Remus hand and turning it around so that he could get a good look at the gold ring on his left middle finger. Remus looked questioningly at the two members of the Crimson House who both nodded. 

"When you acknowledged the bond I suddenly realised that since Harry was my heir the Black rings might appear," said Sirius, "and they are silver, but since you didn't seem to be in pain I guessed the Crimson ones took precedence."

"That and the fact that I didn't know I was your heir," said David, "so when we declared the bond I was welcoming Remus into the Crimson House not the Black family."

"Well all that remains is for the two of you to decide whether Remus and Crimson or Remus and David are soul-mates before you return to Hogwarts. Then David can sit down and draft his letter to Her Majesty to inform her that he has found his soul-mate and ask for leave to present Remus, before we adjourn to Lions' Den to find the books detailing the zia engagement and marriage rituals."

"The ring won't shift," said David pulling at the new gold ring on his finger. "If I can't get it off there isn't much point in disguises anymore."

"Remus can remove it for you," Severus assured him. "But since it solidifies the bond I suggest you wear it on a chain round your neck. That's what Roger and I did." 


	23. Guardians

22.Guardians

Albus received a letter from an unfamiliar owl at breakfast in the great hall on Sunday morning. That in itself was not an unusual event since the headmaster was a known authority on many subjects and often received unsolicited mail. What caused Minerva to take notice was that on seeing the seal of the letter Albus opened it straight away and managed to absentmindedly butter his beard rather than his toast while his attention was occupied with its contents. On finishing it Albus handed the missive over to Severus who read it quickly before returning it.

"You knew?" asked Albus.

"Yes," said Severus, "but not the details. I spoke with Sirius about the items and David had got word of the events, but with the other events of the weekend my attention was elsewhere and I forgot to pass the information on. I believe I recognise the location he was hiding, but if he was there during the summer I saw no sign of him."

"Spinner's End?"

"Yes."

"If we can prove that it was demolished by Death Eaters you will be eligible for Ministry assistance to purchase a new home. There is also an ancient fund to ensure Hogwarts staff have homes to retire to if that fails."

"Thank you Albus," said Severus, "but it is unlikely that I will live long enough for it to be an issue." Had anyone else made the statement it would have been melodramatic, but Severus's close colleagues all knew that he had been living on borrowed time for years. As they left breakfast Minerva caught her colleague to offer her own assistance he brushed her off, though not unkindly. "I lived there for less than a month each year," he explained. "The house contained no belongings that I couldn't do without. In a way I am glad to be free of the obligation to return there. That house held few happy memories."

Minerva was not left to puzzle of the author of the letter or who 'he' was for long since Albus followed her to her office. Once they were alone she pointed out that he still had butter on his beard and he handed her the letter to read while he cleaned it.

"The news isn't good, but you must be pleased that Lord Crimson is communicating with you," she said when she had finished.

"I am, but the extent of his spy network bothers me, particularly since our own agents have not reported the incident. Severus knows who the agent is. He disappeared on Friday evening and went to Grimmauld place where David and Sirius were. It would make sense if the agent had been under the cruciatus curse for Severus to be called in to help, but David is a core healer, so Severus would only be needed if David were incapacitated."

"Which suggests that David is their spy."

"Except David can't be. Severus gave me his word that David was not a Death Eater. Not that he was a disloyal one but that he had never taken the mark or even sympathised with Voldemort's aims. I don't see how an outsider could have got close enough to get this information."

"I don't want to believe Severus lied to you either, but it is possible. It is also possible that David was injured in an unrelated incident and unable to help so Severus was called in unexpectedly. Halloween's a busy time so the revel must have been planned for a while for the participants to attend without being missed. If David left with Remus on a pretext so that he could actually spy on the Death Eaters and therefore there was a chance he would be injured and Severus would be needed to help him, surely they would have made sure Severus was available."

"Thank you my dear for being the voice of reason," said Albus pocketing the letter. "I was disappointed in Severus for not telling me what he knew but forgetting is human and he has done so much that I myself forgot that he could have a human weakness too."

"What do you want me to do?" asked Minerva. She actually wanted to know what Albus was going to do but knew better than to ask.

"Keep an eye on Severus, Remus and David as before but nothing more. I'm going to try to persuade Sirius, in his capacity as Lord Crimson's secretary, to book me an appointment with him. It is not too late for him to transfer to Hogwarts to finish his schooling. If you have any ideas for how to convince him to do so please let me know."

When David and Remus returned to the school on Sunday evening for the beginning of the weekly staff meeting (it had been postponed from Friday due to the Halloween feast) they were looking forward to their colleagues reactions to Remus's new ring. They had decided that it would be best for Remus to bond to David Antirrhinum, but for that name not to be associated with either David the teacher or the Crimson Lord. The Crimson Lord would have to reveal his full name during the wedding ceremony so that would be the best way of allowing him to keep his teaching job and a chance at a life outside the public eye. Once he turned eighteen he would have a lot more official duties since he would no longer be able to hide behind the idea that he was still at school. Neither of them would be likely to be able to continue teaching beyond the end of the school year, but they still hoped that David would be able to keep his false identity up so that he could escape the celebrity lifestyle from time to time. Remus was resigned to being unable to do so himself, but as Crimson Sire he would be less in demand anyway.

It was Minerva who first noticed the ring. She congratulated Remus quietly so that the rest of the staff would not know if he did not intend to announce it and then moved expectantly to David and paused when she saw that he was only wearing his customary wooden ring. There was nothing golden. David held his hands for her to see and shook his head slightly before nodding in Remus's direction and smiling to indicate that he was happy with the match. Albus had also noticed the ring and at the end of the meeting 'innocently' asked if there was any other business whilst looking directly at Remus, and David who was sitting next to him. Remus replied without ceremony that he had formed a soul-mate bond and was likely to be engaged within the next few weeks.

The staff congratulated him and Poppy who was the chief gossip monger, possibly because she could not talk about her work due to patient confidentiality, demanded to know all the details about his bond-mate. He described a man with red hair which caused everyone's attention to turn to David who forced himself to blush as Remus went on say he was not very tall, was keen on quidditch and named David. He then smirked as the description continued to include blue eyes and an age gap of a couple of decades making Remus the elder. By this point the staff realised they had been had and returned their attention to Remus as the meeting broke up into informal chatter and David slipped away.

Later that evening, David apparated from his own rooms into Remus's. Their bond was strong enough for limited telepathy while they were in close proximity and it was enough to enable David to know when it was safe to appear in his bond-mate's rooms and when it was not.

"How was it?" David asked settling himself in an armchair as Remus lay stretched out on the sofa.

"Difficult to keep to the story. I ended up having to tell them that I didn't know about a lot of things which led to Pomona worrying that I didn't know enough about you to be signing my life away on. Explain to me why knowledge of your favourite childhood toy is important to our relationship?"

"Not a clue, perhaps you can tell if I have serial killer tendencies from whether I preferred Lego or teddy bears. Since I have no memory of my childhood toys you'll have to come to your own conclusion."

"As a baby your favourite was whichever one James or Sirius had just taken away from you to play with themselves. Pomona would probably say that indicates you're transient in your affections. I think it more likely that the human clowns otherwise known as my friends held your attention better than some stuffed animal could. I saw Minerva slip out after you, did she catch you?"

David groaned dramatically. "Yes, she invited me to play chess and then played appallingly because she was trying to prevent the emotional breakdown she thought I could have instead of concentrating on her game. I ended up having to give her the celibacy speech followed by an account of the week I spent at a monastery before I convinced her I was fine."

"You spent some time at a monastery? Were you trying to become a monk?"

"No, it was just something Grandfather Godric suggested I do after I returned. He pointed out that after spending time in the realms of the dead it was likely that I would feel the need to ponder matters of life and death and other great questions of the universe. He introduced me to a former abbot of a particular order which was mixed wizard and muggle. The abbot told me where to go and gave me a few messages for his living friends. They were really good at getting me back into the land of the living. They keep themselves out of the everyday affairs of the world and so they asked me not to write to them to tell them what I was doing, but also said that if I needed their help again I was welcome to return."

"Is that what you told Minerva?"

"Not really. I said the loss of my mentor hit me hard and I went on retreat. I left her with the idea that I'm planning to return at some point and so am practicing celibacy and am uninterested in romantic relationships."

Remus picked up on the wistfulness in his boyfriend's voice. "And are you?"

"I am planning on returning. Zias have life spans of two centuries making it likely you will predecease me by at least seventy years. Once I either have children to take over my duties or have given up on having any and you are dead I will probably wish to retreat from the world and move on from academic to religious mysteries." David was not speaking with conviction, to be honest he did not think he would live very long after his mission was accomplished. Once Voldemort was definitely gone he expected he would soon follow.

"We're getting morbid," said Remus. "Besides your calculations are flawed; you are assuming that I have the same lifespan as a normal wizard without taking my lycanthropy into account. I have never come across data on werewolf life spans; probably because few die of old age. Also the wolfsbane potion is a recent innovation and its long term affects are unknown, it could be an elixir of life or more likely a slow poison."

"And you said I was being morbid! Let's change the subject shall we?"

"Certainly, but I think a change of seating arrangement is required," said Remus a bit sheepishly. "Albus cornered me after the meeting and insisted that I bring you to the Yule Ball. He's been taking a lot of flack for hiring me so I can't really refuse."

"I expect he recognised the ring. It's a good thing that it is in my contract that I don't have to be here over the vacations then. Crimson can attend without David being missed. Could you hint to him that we do not intend on revealing Crimson until the wedding and so I do not wish to attend formally? But anyway, what has that got to do with seating arrangements?"

"Well," said Remus grinning, "As I recall you can't dance, and the main reason you can't, or rather won't, dance is because you don't want to have to have physical contact with your partner, right?" David nodded. "So I have seven weeks to get you able to dance or it will be blindingly obvious who my fiancé is. I've given it some thought, and I believe the first stage is to get you accustomed to physical contact with me. Later we can move on to dancing with me and then with luck by the end of term you'll be comfortable dancing with Severus, Sirius and Tonks too. Just don't change your behaviour in public and it'll be another layer in the disguise."

"I'm really not keen on this plan," protested David. "Can't I come down with a contagious disease or smash the bones in my ankle and end up on crutches or something?"

"No, firstly it'd be odd since Albus would expect David, as a friend of mine, to heal you and secondly if I let you run from this it'll be twice as hard next time."

"Perhaps tomorrow," said David standing up. "Goodni…"

"Stop!" ordered Remus before David could disapparate. "Come here!" He swivelled round on the sofa into a sitting position so that there was room for David to sit beside him.

"How the hell are you able to order me around?" David asked angrily as he moved towards the sofa.

"Before we acknowledged the bond I asked you if you understood what it would mean but I see you did not," said Remus resting his forehead in his hand resignedly. He patted the sofa beside him. "Will you sit down?" David stood still. "The bond won't force you to obey unless I am completely convinced that it is necessary for your wellbeing," Remus explained. "It won't work if the order is harmful. Stick your hand in the fire! See, nothing happened. When I stopped you from leaving I could do so because I was convinced that your phobia would increase if I allowed you to delay facing it."

"Does it work the other way too?"

"No," said Remus. "When we acknowledged the bond why did you cross your arms before taking my hands?"

"My grandfather David, who I'm named after, was a bit obsessed with the continuation of the family so he talked to me for a long time about soul-bonds and how important it was to find my soul-mate so that I could have children and the house wouldn't die out. He told me about the different ways to confirm the bond depending on the age I was and the age you were. He told me that if I was under twenty-five and you were over it then I should do it the way I did."

"And you've not done any research on the subject yourself?"

"No, the longevity of the family was his obsession not mine, I never expected to marry and so I saw no need to do any."

"Can I hazard a guess that your grandfather did not like Severus?"

"He did not approve of him at all. You're saying something about the way we formed the bond was meant to annoy my father?"

"Not annoy, more take you out from his control. Until the age of twenty-five unless you disown your parents or they disown you, parents have a certain level of control over your decisions. Seventeen is the age that soul-mate bonds exert a physical attraction and has come to be the age of majority for that reason. Muggles may marry at sixteen with parental consent but we can't until seventeen. The age of majority used to be twenty-five because that was the traditional age for a wizard to finish his education. Even after Hogwarts was founded wizards used to take apprenticeships after school until the age of twenty-five, now not even auror or healer training which are the most lengthy take that long.

"Because people could marry before completing their apprenticeships it was ambiguous as to whether the parents or spouse should be responsible for someone under the age of twenty-five, particularly if the spouse had completed his own apprenticeship. Thus the manner in which the engagement or in our case the soul-bond was formed demonstrated who had guardianship."

"So my grandfather set me up to ensure that my father lost his, er, 'paternal rights?' He must have really hated him to put the welfare of the house in the hands of a stranger rather than Severus whom his own son had chosen. Can anything be done about it?"

"I don't think so, but when you explain what happened to Severus you could offer to do some research on the subject, it might soften the rejection." 


	24. Matriarch

Matriarch 

The offer of research did soften the blow but David could tell that Severus was quite upset even though he hid it well since his colleagues could not know what had occurred. Severus had decreed that David's punishment for trying to break the soul-bond would be a series of detentions cleaning out cauldrons pointing out that he should still be a student anyway which would leave his potions teacher able to give him detentions. David agreed to do the work before he explained the bond situation so as to assure his father that he still wanted him as a parent and would respect his opinion whether he was technically his guardian or not. He only put his foot down when Severus demanded that he hand over his ring which he used to focus his magic while he worked since the point of the exercise was for the cauldrons to be cleaned by hand. David refused on the grounds that if an emergency cropped up he would not have the time to waste to locate his ring and Severus grudgingly agreed to take his word that he would not use magic while in 'detention.'

The potions master had a well deserved reputation for giving the most detentions in the school so it was to be expected that David had company. Severus got round the problem by allowing the rumour that he'd won a duel against the DADA teacher and his forfeit had been to scrub cauldrons. David was furious about the knock to his reputation but realised that he could hardly tell them the real reason. Not to mention that whinging about it would make him appear more like the seventeen year old he was physically than the thirty-something he considered himself mentally.

David and Remus spent what time they could together since they had an engagement and wedding to plan not to mention the necessary dance lessons. Remus negotiated with Albus for permission to be away from the school at the weekends which David already had the option to do as part of his contract. They rearranged their classes so that David, who was wider read, taught the theory and marked essays while Remus concentrated on the practical which meant David did not have to practice the wizard way of doing the spell. Zia magic was done on a more intuitive level so he was having to learn the spells as he went along. Even with their adjustments it was obvious after a week that they would need assistance in planning their wedding.

The first hurdle was past with relative ease. David had been worried about how they would both be able to get the same time off to visit the queen so that she could approve the match. As it was Her Majesty had remembered that David was working at Hogwarts incognito and realised that since Remus was introduced as a Hogwarts professor that the timing of their audience would need to be inconspicuous. They visited on a Saturday morning. The queen had ensured that her grandson, and probable future king, HRH Prince William of Wales, was present and turned the meeting into an introduction to the Wizarding World for him. This enabled Remus to fall into his teaching persona and put him at his ease. Once he saw that both royals appeared to approve of Remus, David carefully broached the subject of discrimination and people with disabilities from which he led on to the subject of werewolves. The couple left the palace with formal permission for their union and support for their efforts they to end unfair discrimination in the Wizarding World.

They returned to Lions' Den and discussed plans for Dolores Umbridge's downfall until Sirius appeared. He joined them for lunch and told them about a few discoveries he had made since locating the Crimson Quirinus Cella, the room which the head of the family had used for generations when governing his territory and planning alliances. It contained all the tools he would require to keep track of events within Britain and even the Wizarding World as a whole. Sirius had been very excited to locate the room since his own family's had been destroyed by Kreacher, presumably on his mother's orders to prevent Sirius being able to make use of it. The only item that had been salvaged was the family tapestry which he imagined she wanted him to have as a constant reminder that his family had disowned him. Kreacher had managed to disable it, presumably on the orders of Mrs Black's portrait, to the extent that it refused to obey Sirius or update its contents for him. David's family tapestry was in full working order and had immediately responded to Sirius as member of the fellowship. He had tested it out by looking up a few families he knew and had come across a name which had given him pause for thought.

Molly Weasley was chatting awkwardly with her daughter-in-law Fleur late that afternoon while their husbands were inspecting some new muggle obsession of Arthur's when a firecall came through and Molly gratefully excused herself to answer it. Ever since their eldest son, Bill, had left school Molly and Arthur had run the weekends on an 'open house' basis for their children to drop by but Molly disliked Bill's new wife intensely. Unfortunately for her Fleur liked Molly and was keen to spend time with her.

The call was from Remus Lupin who apologised for it being short notice, and asked whether Arthur and she would be able to drop in on him sometime over the weekend because he had something important to discuss with them. Molly noted Remus's slightly agitated state and saw the prospect of exaggerating it into panic and hence escaping Fleur. She replied that she needed to check with Arthur but that they could probably come as soon as he liked. Remus thanked her and told her to come to Grimmauld Place.

Sirius met the Weasleys and directed them straight back into the fireplace and sent them to Lions' Den. Molly only had a few moments to panic that she was not dressed for visiting such a place before she was stepping out of the fireplace and was being handed a clothes brush to get rid of the unavoidable soot by a short teenager with curly red hair and blue eyes. She noticed that he was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt and felt much better.

"Welcome to Lions' Den Mr and Mrs Weasley," said the boy. "I'm David Antirrhinum. I apologise for the roundabout way of getting you here but we did not wish your involvement to be made public at this stage. I hope this is the first of many visits. Shall we go and join Remus?" he asked as he started herding the Weasleys through the house. Before they had time to work out what was going on the pair were settled in comfortable armchairs with drinks in their hands. They were reminded of the purpose of their visit when Remus walked in looking nervous and sat down.

Remus explained to his friends about his engagement. Once she had got her head around the idea that Remus had a soul bond with the head of the Crimson House, who turned out to be the extremely young looking person who'd greeted her, and the match had been approved by his relatives as well as having royal permission, Molly decided that she was overjoyed. She congratulated the pair wholeheartedly. She embraced Remus warmly but fortunately for David she was still enough in awe of his identity that she did not hug him and settled for insisting that he call her Molly.

When his wife had returned to her seat Arthur said quietly, "I imagine you will be announcing your engagement on Thursday as is traditional and we are flattered that you wanted to tell us earlier, particularly since you don't plan on indicating David's position to the public, but there is more to it isn't there?"

"Sirius became my steward after his name was cleared," David told them. "He has been helping us work out which traditions need to be followed during our engagement and which ones we can ignore. He has been exploring the house as well and this morning he came across something that led us to contact you. We are hoping that you will be able to help us out." He turned to Arthur, "Perhaps you would accompany me to my office while Remus picks Molly's brains for tips on organising our wedding? I understand your son's was extremely enjoyable."

David led Arthur back towards the floo connection and through a door nearby that opened into a large room containing an ornate desk and chair as well as a cluster of more comfortable seats. "My reason for talking to you without your wife will become clear," he assured Arthur. "Please pardon my rudeness in doing so, I hope you will share what I tell you with her, but I am duty bound not to do so myself."

David did not ask him to sit, but instead opened hidden door in the panelled wall behind the desk and held it open for Arthur to pass though. The room they found themselves in had more functional furniture, but it was the tapestries on the walls that caught Arthur's attention. One showed an organisation chart of all the employees of the Ministry including a subsection for St Mungo's which was also under ministerial control. It was the largest tapestry which David directed his guest towards. This showed the genealogy of the Crimson House.

Arthur was stunned. It was unheard of for an outsider to be invited into the Quirinus Cella of a pureblood family. Other than the ruin in Sirius's house, Arthur had never been near one before. His own family had eschewed such pureblood paraphernalia several generations previously. He was being shown a huge level of trust by someone whom he had believed he had never met. Granted David was bound to be a relative on some level since all pureblood families were interbred, but it was still a great honour. Arthur wondered briefly whether David was aware of the taboo he was breaking, but Sirius would have known and would have told him. Arthur allowed himself to hope instead that his speculation over David's identity might be correct after all.

David showed no unease over the situation and simply directed Arthur's attention towards Arthur's entry on the chart. Along with this seven biological children, Harry Potter was listed as a Weasley ward. Arthur noticed that Harry's entry recorded him as deceased. Glancing around Arthur couldn't find David's own entry, but had to make do with the last Crimson Lord, David Dragon who was obviously far too old and too dead to be the young man beside him. Arthur made a rough calculation that he was a seventh cousin give or take a few removals.

"As you can see all my predecessor's children died young and unmarried," said David pointing out David Dragon's three children. "However the records are not complete. I know my father married and that he died later than is indicated here. I believe you've seen the Black tapestry and have even been blasted off it. I am curious as to what your own opinion is about disowning family members. Would you disown one of your children if they held opposing political views or were convicted of a crime or the like?"

"My family has had its disagreements just like any other," said Arthur, "but I have never had cause to disown any of my children. Even were one of them to become a Death Eater I would hunt him down but not disown him, fortunately I do not believe any of my children would do such a thing. It would take a lot to convince me that one had, even a conviction from the Wizengamot would not be enough, particularly if the trial were questionable."

David regarded Arthur appraisingly, revising his former opinion of him as merely a kind hearted midlevel civil servant with a fixation on muggles. Arthur was shrewder than he let on. "I understand that you supported Sirius before his name was cleared," he said cautiously. "Do I take it then that you have similar doubts over the guilt of another convict?"

"I have a particular case in mind," said Arthur smiling. "I have had proof for a while that the person involved is not dead, as has been claimed, and I have been trying for months to locate him to help him. Is there some way I can demonstrate my good faith?"

"I have some skills in legimency, if you'll permit me? I will only check your intentions, nothing more." Arthur inclined his head in agreement and David gently probed his thoughts for evidence of his intentions.

"You may have noticed that I am not on this chart," said David. "That is my father's entry." He pointed out David Dragon's son Roger. "He was not disowned; the separation was a mutual decision. Because of that the chart records that he died in 1979 when in reality he lived almost another year. The date shown is the date of separation. There are at least three other charts in Britain. They will all show the same thing if Roger is on the chart. My own name does not show up because of the separation. Were I to marry someone else on the chart I would simply show up as that person's spouse and no connection to my own family. As Roger Dragon's descendant I can remove the block, but I would then show up on all such tapestries, as would his spouse, and my reasons for not wanting that will become clear in a moment."

David placed his hand on the tapestry, calling up his own name and all his immediate family relationships, parents, adoptive parents, former legal guardians and godparents. For someone who had never considered anyone as family growing up, David had a lot of supposed guardians. "This information is only revealed by touch, it will not appear on the other charts. I trust what I'm showing you will not be discussed outside this house," he warned Arthur as the writing solidified and watched carefully for his reaction. "Perhaps you will explain to me how you and Molly became my legal guardians, particularly without Sirius's knowledge?"

"Good Lord, you are Harry, we'd hoped you were," said Arthur. He looked a bit closer and took in the other names clustered around David's entry. "Severus Snape is your father? That I hadn't expected."

"He is, and it was his idea that Sirius be my godfather," said David, amused by the look of shock on Arthur's face. "Sirius was astonished too; they are now friends. Could you explain how and why you adopted me? And perhaps why my being alive didn't surprise you?"

"We wanted to adopt you during your third year to protect you from Sirius since we believed him guilty at the time, but Dumbledore persuaded us out of it," explained Arthur. "After your trial we wanted to be able to visit you in St Mungo's, but were refused permission, so we tried again for guardianship since if you were family we would have the right to visit. The application was blocked. Hermione had the bright idea that we should adopt you in the muggle world instead and we tracked down Marjorie Dursley who was technically your guardian although she had made no efforts to locate you after the deaths of the other Dursleys. She was willing to sign over the guardianship rights and we presented the Ministry with a fait acompli."

"I doubt they liked that!"

"No, they didn't. We were obliviated and the papers destroyed, but the person who did so did not reckon on our grandfather clock which had gained a hand for you upon the completion of the documents. Molly and I realised what had happened and hid the clock so that nobody would know. We've used it to keep track of you. From the clock we worked out that you were in Azkaban not St Mungo's which set us wondering what else at your trial had been different to what it appeared. You were supposed to have died, but even being beneficiaries in your will could not convince us that the clock was wrong and you were actually dead. Given what had happened we believed you were in danger from the Order, the Ministry and the Death Eaters as well. So we kept our knowledge to ourselves and hoped you would come to us for help. When we heard about Lord Crimson we thought it might be you and tried to contact you, but all our letters came back undelivered. We thought you might be involved in getting Sirius his trial and it supported our ideas as to your identity so we've been trying to get information out of Sirius, but he's been very evasive."

"Sirius was worried by your interest," David told him. "Then when he found the chart and saw the adoption he decided you suspected what was going on and that I needed to confront you to find out your intentions before you revealed your suspicions to the wrong person. I have wanted to be part of your family for years. I am honoured that you adopted me, particularly since you did so at a time when being connected to me publicly had considerable cost. However I could have discussed all this with Molly as well, I have a second reason for inviting you in here; I believe Molly may be my cousin."

"Molly has never mentioned being related to a zia," said Arthur doubtfully. "The Prewetts had a reputation for being very blood proud, my father-in-law was the exception, so had they been closely related to a zia everyone would have known it."

"As you saw my aunt's record has her dying young, just like my father," began David as he removed his hand from the chart and it returned to its former display. He pointed towards the entry for his aunt who was named Ginevra Dragon. "I understand that your daughter is called Ginevra, and that she was given that name by her grandmother, Molly's mother? Ginevra is an unusual name. Do you know much about your mother-in-law's family? Have any of your children demonstrated metamorphmagus or healing abilities?"

Arthur shook his head, but seemed less certain than he had been that this was leading nowhere. "Molly doesn't speak of them very often, but I believe she had two uncles whom she never met. Her mother's name was Sylvia not Ginevra, but she was a metamorphmagus, although neither Molly nor any of our children have inherited the talent. We had hoped our son Charlie would make healing his profession since he showed an aptitude, but he turned to dragons instead. I understand that Sylvia asked Molly not to seek out her relatives. She was dying when Molly was pregnant with Percy, and when we visited she asked Molly to name the baby Ginevra, so then when we had Ginny we used the name."

David looked at him earnestly, "It would raise a lot of questions were I to reveal that you had adopted me, but by rights the role of matriarch at my wedding belongs to Molly – and she would be my first choice anyway. I am hoping that I am right about her being my cousin, since that relationship could be revealed without as of a problem. The person who could otherwise claim the matriarch role would be extremely undesirable."

Arthur indicated he was willing to listen and David gestured a cluster of names on the chart which were highlighted as he did so. "This is shows my closest female blood relation," he said pointing to the name of Bellatrix Lestrange. "Since she is on the run she would probably not take the role, but instead nominate someone else. Sirius believes his cousin would nominate her sister Narcissa. Which means I could end up with Draco Malfoy running my stag night; I hate to think what he would do."

David waved his hand and the writing on the chart rearranged itself again. "So there you have my motivation; my hope lies in my aunt Ginevra. Sirius and I both think she is likely to be Sylvia Prewett. I can't approach Molly about this because of the separation, however Sylvia's descendants can ask for block to be removed, which would settle the matter. I understand that you have no sisters-in-law, which would mean Molly is my closest female relation and can be our matriarch."

"I must discuss it with Molly, but I expect she will agree to remove the block. I concur that it would be unwise to reveal that we adopted you since if anyone checked it would be obvious what your previous identity was, and I appreciate the opportunity for some revenge on the Malfoys. Narcissa will not like being upstaged by Molly. I also think Molly would hate to see anyone else presiding over your wedding."

David led Arthur back through the house to where they had left their partners. He drew Remus out of the room to give Arthur a chance to talk to his wife in private so as not to force her into acknowledging him as family. As it was her reaction was soon known by the high pitched shriek that she emitted before she ran out the door and hugged David as though he would disappear if she let him go. David allowed her free reign for a minute or so before he cleared his throat, "I believe it is customary to have a celebration when a long lost family member returns," he said. "While I have no fatted calf to offer I expect Simba is way ahead of me and is creating a wonderful meal. Will you stay for supper? There is much to discuss. It is vital that Albus not know that I am alive."

"At the risk of sounding parental, I'm extremely proud of you," Remus told David later that evening after the Weasleys had left. "You allowed Molly to manhandle you without protest which would have really upset her and you ensured that they did not feel guilty about not doing more to help during and after your trial."

David, who was curled up in kitten form on Remus's lap, used telepathy to reply. "The only people who have ever been parental around me are Molly and Arthur. Sirius and Severus have tried at times but they don't really know how to go about it and the Dursleys couldn't be called parental by anyone's standards. Even their behaviour towards Dudley was appalling in its own way."

"I am worried that they were able to work the truth," confided Remus. "Tonks is an auror and lives with Sirius who was careless over some of his actions like decorating that room for you, but if Molly and Arthur can work it out you're in a lot of danger. It is possible that other people had devices which track whether you are alive or not. I suspect Albus would have one, although he might have recycled it when you were convicted. We are lucky that the Weasleys supported you despite the evidence to the contrary. We cannot count of that kind of loyalty from anyone else."

"I think everyone underestimates Arthur because of his muggle fixation," mused David. "But in general I agree. Molly and Arthur did not rumble my work persona so since I keep Crimson hidden from the public anyway I should be alright. The main hurdle will be the Yule Ball, since Fudge might recognise me and Albus probably knows already."

"True, but not attending would only confirm people's suspicions. Are you willing to continue with your lessons? I will give you an EE for your actions with Molly, but there is still room for improvement."

"If we must," sent David as he stretched and jumped off Remus's lap to transform.

"Now," said Remus once he was sitting sideways leaning against the arm the sofa with his arms around David, in human form, who was reclining against him. "There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about. Since we acknowledged the bond my connection to you has grown stronger and I've been able to sense what you are feeling more often. You've been getting more and more apprehensive and I'd now use the word 'terrified' as time has gone on. At first I thought you were nervous about getting royal assent, but the emotions became stronger after we left the palace. So what's wrong?"

David took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I am terrified," he conceded softly. "When I was young I never had anyone that I trusted. I learnt early on that anything I said got back to the Dursleys and got used to not trusting anyone. Then I started at Hogwarts and although I didn't see Albus often, there was something about him that caused me to break my habit and trust him. He sent me James's invisibility cloak and we had a brief conversation when I was looking at the Mirror of Erised. Then at the end of the year I was rendered unconscious when faced Voldemort to protect the philosopher's stone. When I woke up in the hospital wing Albus was sitting there waiting for me. Nobody had ever taken more than a clinical interest in me when I was ill."

David paused and after a couple of minutes Remus prompted him, "So you trusted Albus first and he betrayed that trust?"

"Yes," agreed David quietly. "It took a long time, I didn't trust him enough to tell him about the basilisk I was hearing when he asked me in my second year, but then when he was the only one who believed Hermione and me about Sirius and helped us save him. But not only that, he wanted to save Buckbeak too, that was the point at which he fully gained my trust. I trusted him even more than I trusted Ron and Hermione. So then when what happened, happened, I couldn't believe it. I refused to believe it. And after being drugged on his orders and then months of Azkaban with him visiting me and referring to what had happened and taunting me about it, I finally admitted that he had betrayed me. I know you and my father have your doubts and think it was an impostor. I'd love to believe that, but I think in the end it wouldn't make much difference because I've still lived with that betrayal, even if it wasn't real, for so long that I'm terrified of trusting anyone else. I don't want to be in the position where someone else, even if impersonated, could do that to me again."

"So you're feeling that you are being forced to give me that trust and so put yourself back in that position?" asked Remus.

"Yes," said David. "No, well, not forced, I mean I want to, but I don't want to. I'm just scared." He struggled to explain. "I really want to trust you that much. I think I need to trust someone that much, even Moody trusted some people, but at the same time the power that gives you over me scares me."

"The guardian aspect of the bond can't be helping," said Remus thoughtfully. "If I gave you my word not to use those powers would you feel better?"

"Yes," said David fervently. "It's not that I don't want to listen to your advice, but knowing you can insist it is followed is difficult. The bond can't be changed, I've checked, but having your word would help a bit."

"You have it," Remus said seriously. "I promise not to use the guardianship powers to force you to do anything you don't want to do. Is there anything else I can do to help?"

"I don't think so," said David. "Part of the nature of the bond is to make us want to protect each other so intellectually at least I know if I'm going to trust anyone you're the best candidate, it's just going to take me a while to become comfortable with it."

"If you think of anything be sure to tell me," insisted Remus. "And I can assure you I have no intention of betraying your trust."

"I will," David assured him. "And thank you. I think it happened again I would not survive."

Remus was not at Hogwarts for the announcement of his engagement since Friday was the full moon. This meant that by the time he returned on Monday the whole school was waiting to question him. After an exhausting day in which he had taken more house points than he would normally in a month Remus lay on his sofa, his book forgotten beside him and grumbled at David for not showing him any sympathy during the day. David wisely decided it would be best to show his support with actions rather than words and so levitated Remus slightly and slid onto the sofa before lowering him back down so that his head rested on David's lap. He had seen his godparents sit like that at times and hoped that Remus would be comforted by the contact.

David's actions had the desired affect. Remus was so surprised and pleased that his coaching sessions had paid off to the extent that David would initiate contact that the stresses of the day were instantly forgotten and happy speculation on Gryffindor's chances in the quidditch cup replaced them. Still tired after the full moon Remus ended up falling asleep. David sat for a long time looking into the fire and thinking about the resent whirlwind of events in his life. He had become caught up in his own situation and lost track of Hermione as Voldemort and Remus claimed his attention. Things would have been easier if he had been able to reveal himself to her and Ron, but Molly and Arthur had cautioned him not to do so whilst they were still under the headmaster's nose. There was a general suspicion that the old man used mild legimency on people to come by the knowledge that made him seem omniscient. Severus was an accomplished occlumense and as an Order member Remus had enough training to protect him from mild wandless attacks. The students did not have those advantages. Instead Molly was planning on 'introducing' David to her family and encouraging them to befriend him. Finally David decided it was too late to continue his musings and he woke the other wizard before leaving for his own bed.

In the early hours of the morning David woke with a start. The light in his room was blinding. He put his hand over his eyes to block the glare and reached out to the castle to ask what was going on. Lady Hogwarts was frantic. The wards around the astronomy tower which prevented people jumping to their deaths had been removed. The castle had used her control over the lighting to wake David and alert him to the problem. David wasted no time even getting out of bed but apparated straight to the top of the tower. He landed on the floor with a bump and made a mental note not to apparate from a sitting position in future without taking into account the change in height between what he was sitting on and the place he would land.

His suspicions as to the reason for the wards being removed were confirmed by the presence of Hermione Granger on the tower. She had climbed up onto the parapet and appeared to be ready to jump, but the thud of his arrival had caused her to turn her head. She obviously decided that he was no threat since he held no wand and his pyjamas consisted of a t-shirt and boxer shorts so there was nowhere he could be hiding one. She said nothing but just returned to looking over the edge. David summoned her and as she flew through the air towards him he stunned her. The immediate problem dealt with David put up some wards to replace the ones that had been dismantled. He was no expert so they were unlikely to last forever, but they would do until morning when the headmaster could replace them. Finally he communicated with the castle to thank her for the warning and assure her the problem would be dealt with.

Realising that if he were found to have done all that without a wand he could kiss his secret identity goodbye David apparated both of them to his quarters and hurriedly put on his dressing gown and shoved his fake wand into the pocket before apparating them both up to a classroom near the hospital wing which was bound to be deserted and then levitating Hermione into the wing from there.

There was a first year with purple and blue spots in one of the beds so David was careful not to make much noise as he laid Hermione down, tied her to the bed in a belts and braces approach in case the stunner wore off and then left to wake Poppy. The nurse had David remove the ropes so that Hermione could be moved into a private room for reviving and interrogation, she also woke the headmaster.

When confronted with how she had been found Hermione broke down and admitted that she had been intending to kill herself. David insisted on checking her himself for spells or potions that could be modifying her behaviour but he was unable to find anything. Seeing David refused to accept that she was acting of her own volition Albus drew him out of the room and took him to his study for a chat, leaving Poppy to tend to Hermione.

Albus watched David closely as the younger man became more and more anxious as they walked to Albus's office. Once inside Albus waved him into a seat and produced some tea. David refused the tea on the grounds that the caffeine would prevent him getting back to sleep but also declined the offer of a different beverage. Albus explained patiently that he had been alerted to Hermione's changed behaviour over the past few weeks by several of her teachers and Minerva had been arranging for her to take a break from her teaching apprenticeship so as to reduce her workload for a while to help her cope. He painted a picture that made her suicide attempt if not predictable at least consistent and believable.

Albus listened to David's concerns and his protests that Hermione would not do something like that and told him sadly that it was impossible to predict whether a person would or would not be tempted by suicide. He confided that even with over half a century of employment at Hogwarts he still could not pick which students would have such a problem and which would not. As the conversation wore on Albus noted David's agitation increased and began to wonder whether his interest in this student was entirely healthy for a teacher. He had admitted outright that she was the reason he agreed to work at Hogwarts and he had noticed David looking at her during meal times.

Albus moved the conversation on to how David had known there was a problem and wondered why the castle had chosen to inform David rather than himself about the wards. Deciding that David had zoned out for a bit and was getting more anxious as the conversation progressed rather than calming down as was intended he wrapped things up by explaining that Hermione would be sent to St Mungo's in the morning for evaluation and would probably be there a while. He was unsurprised that David protested that she would not be safe in St Mungo's, indeed he had blanched at the mention of the place, and Albus was certain of the need to keep him away from her. Perhaps David had even been part of the problem. Albus asked David to give him his word not to interfere and to leave the student in the hands of the medical professionals. When David refused Albus unveiled his metaphorical claws and insisted, allowing his eyes to glint dangerously in an attempt to intimidate his employee. It did not have the intended result.

Faced with Albus Dumbledore in all his fury David forgot his fear and unease around his former attacker and instead found the courage to stand up for himself that he had not had since Azkaban. "I let you kill Harry," he said his voice cold with fury, "but you will not sacrifice Hermione to your twisted agenda. Would you promise something in the full knowledge that it would mean that one of your friends would die?" David disapparated out of the office not even giving the headmaster a chance to reply.

David appeared in Hermione's hospital room knowing that he had little time. He was thankful that Poppy had returned to bed having given Hermione a sleeping potion. David tore some strips off the hem of his dressing gown, transfigured the cloth into glass phials and collected three samples of blood. There was one sample for him to work with, one for Severus and one to give to Remus to keep as a reference. He then located the tracking charm the headmaster had put on her as residing in a ring she was wearing and he modified it to let him know her state of health and to stop it being removable. He really wanted to be notified about her state of mind but he could not think how to do that over the required distance. Having done what was needed, though not legal, David apparated to Remus's sitting room where his bond-mate was waiting.

"How did things go with Albus," asked Remus sitting up on the sofa to allow David to join him.

"Sorry, I can't so soon after being alone with Albus," said David gesturing to the sofa whilst moving to the armchair instead, "I've probably got myself fired and I've just done enough to put myself back in Azkaban for a few months so I may need to take up a new post as your cat if I'm proved wrong about what happened tonight."

"We can work with that," Remus assured him. "What happened? I was halfway up to his office when you asked me to wait here for you instead but nothing seemed amiss in the parts of the school I saw."

David explained the events of the night and his belief in foul play and his plan to test the blood despite Albus specifically telling him not to. He did not stay long after outlining what he was going to do but said that he would return in a few days once he had run some tests and asked Remus to keep one of the phials safe and give the other one to Severus.

When Remus went to breakfast, after a few hours of trying and failing to get any more sleep, he informed Albus that David had left him a message asking him to cover the classes for a few days since he had been called away on an emergency. Albus gave no indication of being surprised or of having expected this news but rose and announced to the students that the tutoring sessions David ran were cancelled until further notice.

David was too far away for the bond to allow him to communicate telepathically with Remus so David apparated into Remus's rooms each evening for a few minutes while he was away. On Sunday morning nearly a fortnight later during breakfast Severus received a letter and a parcel. After a quick scan of the message he asked Albus to accompany him to his dungeon laboratory. When they arrived Severus unwrapped the package and placed its contents on the work bench. He then fetched several items from the store cupboard.

"Did you know that the kitchens have been missing cheese over the last few weeks?" he asked Albus.

"No," replied the headmaster. He had no clue where this conversation was going but was willing to be patient. He had learnt very young that people thought you knew more than you did if you did not inform them that you did not understand.

"This," said Severus holding up a corked phial, "is human blood. You can see for yourself that it was taken last Tuesday and has not been tampered with since." He handed the phial over so that the headmaster could check the charms on it himself. Once Albus was satisfied Severus opened the phial and poured a drop onto a piece of treated parchment. The writing appeared on the parchment listing the chemical construction of the blood. "Note the calcium level," said Severus.

Albus looked at the parchment but saw the calcium level was low but not dangerously so and indicated for the potions master to elaborate. "It's low, but not a problem," said Severus, "except that the person who donated this blood had recently taken a sleeping potion of some kind, and all known sleeping potions cause calcium levels to rise by up to double. If you correct for the increase and take that into account along with the elevated iron levels and the missing cheese it points to the patient having been addicted to jungajoy and then suddenly ceasing to use it.

"It would be a very efficient form of murder," said Severus dispassionately. "No poison shows up in the victim's system and if the dose is gradually increase to get the victim hooked nobody would notice it being done. The only unnatural action in the depression and suicide that are caused by the withdrawal is an unappeasable need to eat cheese and a guilty conscience about doing so that make the victim hide his cravings."

"It's Miss Granger's blood?" asked Albus unnecessarily.

Severus nodded and indicated the bottle that had come through the post. "That is the proposed antidote. It's the result of ten days round the clock work of someone who if he wasn't happy in his own job would have me worrying about my position."

"Is it really necessary? I have been receiving favourable reports from St Mungo's."

"David has had the Grangers slipping large amounts of strong cheese to their daughter. The amount needed to keep her from slipping further into depression is every increasing. The wards around St Mungo's prevent visitors bringing their own potions in with them so David has sent this to me in the hope that I can convince you to get it to her."

David woke up on Wednesday afternoon in his own bed in Hogwarts with no idea how he got there. The last thing he could remember clearly was staggering into his room at Lions' Den at the potions he had been taking to keep himself awake wore off after he had finished brewing Hermione's medicine. He found himself reaching for his glasses out of a habit he still could not break over half a year since he had fixed his eyesight. He removed his arm from under the bedclothes and he realised that he was still wearing the overalls he wore when experimenting with potions. Instead of glasses his hands came up with a note explaining that Remus had brought him back to Hogwarts rather than leave him to recover on his own in Lions' Den.

Poppy walked into the room while David was reading the note. She waved her wand over him to check his health and explained that she would have kept him in the hospital wing to recover but there was a case of babbling fever in quarantine and the main wing was liable to be too noisy. Poppy went on to complain that she had been unable to remove his clothes and insisted he let her help him change into his pyjamas.

Once he was more appropriately dressed, Poppy ordered David to stay in bed and lectured him about his reckless use of stimulants and cavalier attitude to his health. She reminded him that since it had resulted in physical and not magical exhaustion he could not fall back on revitalicorpus potion to cure himself. She left him a communication stone so that he could call her if he needed anything. As she went out she softened her expression to thank him for curing the head-girl and mentioned that the headmaster would be down shortly.

David's interview with Albus was brief and unpleasant for both of them. Albus had to admit that he had been wrong, which no matter how many times he tended to remind others that he was not infallible still hurt. David was uncomfortable with the memories that lying in bed with restricted movement in the presence of Albus brought to the surface. He commented later in the evening to Remus that he was amazed he did not have an actual flashback, but thankfully Albus had not been wearing his burnt orange robes and they had not been in the hospital wing. Remus had a ghost of an idea and commented that he had a favourite bed in the hospital wing from all the time he spent there and was pleased to find out from David that he had always occupied one particular bed too. It would be cruel in many ways to engineer a flashback, but it could provide a lot of information so Remus filed away the idea for further consideration. He moved the topic on before David could become suspicious and they discussed Molly's proposals for their engagement party. Both liked her idea of keeping it exclusive since they would be forced to put up with many unwelcome guests at their wedding. Whether to invite Albus or not was the main problem.


	25. Close Shave

Close Shave 

The next day David was still confined to bed but was declared well enough to be interviewed by a pair of aurors accompanied by the headmaster who were investigating what had finally been classed as the attempted murder of Hermione Granger. David's response was that it was about time the authorities got involved and he proceeded to give them a detailed account of each attempt that he had observed. The conversation got sidetracked for a while when one of the aurors, Helen Thompson, displayed an interest in the structure behind his ghost image spell to display the origin of an active hex. She dragged her partner out of the room to hex him so that David could demonstrate and would have gone on to discuss the research requirements before such an innovation could be publicly acknowledged had her partner not reminded her why they were there.

Auror Thompson sobered up immediately and kept shooting sympathetic glances at David as the conversation returned to Hermione Granger. David answered their questions carefully since he could not reveal the real reason for his interest in her wellbeing. After five minutes of unsatisfactory replies in the view of the senior auror, Frank Hart, whose patience was wearing particularly thin since his partner seemed to be flirting with David rather than questioning him, Auror Hart declared that there had been questions raised about David's relationships with his students, Miss Granger in particular. David looked shocked for a moment since he had not cottoned on to the trend of the conversation. In a twisted way it was amusing for him to be accused of having an unhealthy interest in one of his students.

"I take it you are considering investigating this matter in accordance with section fourteen B of the code of behaviour for Hogwarts staff?" he asked as he casually flicked his eyes left to right and stroked his chin with his right middle finger keeping his other hand in his lap but hiding the thumb underneath the palm. He was a bit worried that neither auror gave any indication of understanding the signal. The answering gesture came from a surprising source; the headmaster. This left David in a quandary, while he could not afford to be fed a truth serum as the code of behaviour required, neither did he want to let the headmaster think that he was anything other than a regular wizard. Deciding that a truth potion would do more damage David brought his thumb back into view and folded his hands in his lap with both thumbs on top rather than palms down.

"We are simply giving you due warning that there will be an investigation into the matter, which, if necessary, will include an interrogation under veritaserum," said Albus signally for David to play along. "I believe Poppy has decreed that you are not to be given any potions before you are fully recovered in any case. With luck the investigation will be concluded by the time you are fit to return to work and a suspension will not be necessary. I fear our visit has tired you more than you show so I think we should leave it there for now, if that's alright with you Auror Hart?"

The visitors left and David ran his mind over what had taken place and was at a loss to explain why Albus had recognised the signal and more to the point why he did not come out and acknowledge what David was. The signal had been intended for the aurors in the first place since they were the ones who were supposed to understand that David was to be left alone; so why did Albus think it necessary for them not to know. David had fallen into an uncomfortable doze in mid contemplation when Albus returned. He had with him a bound collection of copies of the Daily Prophet from 1989. Albus handed it to David and drew his attention to the obituary of David Dragon and then over a dozen different missing person articles in the months that followed.

"They were all shadow dragons," stated David linking the names. "There can't be more than fifteen left."

"They were. Those are the ones I knew of, but I suspect there were a lot more. I believe they were picked up when they reported in to the Ministry. When I made the connection I warned the others that I was aware of to stay away. I do not believe that many people would have seen the significance; very few people were aware of the identities of any of the shadow dragons. I was unable to do anything about it without revealing myself as one too."

"I did not know you were a shadow dragon. What happened to all of them?" asked David.

"I do not know," said Albus sorrowfully. "None were ever seen again. Once Minister Bagnold was out of office the disappearances stopped. I do not know whether she was behind them or whether whoever it was simply got lost in the ministerial reshuffle. I made several trips to Azkaban in order to discretely look for them but I did not find them. My attempts at scrying for their locations did not bear fruit either."

"They're not dead," said David.

"You're certain?" said Albus raising his eyebrows at the firmness of the statement.

"I am certain they were all alive in February," replied David but did not elaborate. Had any shadow dragons died knowing they were being hunted down David would not have been taught the signs and passwords while in the realm of the dead. His grandfather, David Dragon had founded the shadow dragons as an elite cross between aurors, hit wizards and unspeakables. They swore unbreakable vows to always act in the best interests of the wizarding population of the United Kingdom and were otherwise free agents who chose their own missions. David had not been able to swear the vow since he could not make physical contact with the bonders wand whilst in the realms of the dead but since the vow was a weaker copy of the one he swore when he became the Crimson Lord it made little difference.

"Your presence here raises many questions," mused Albus, "but your ignorance of the danger of you're in raises even more. When you signalled I was unsure whether it was a plot to incriminate me, but I doubted that the Ministry would waste a core healer on an entrapment operation, particularly after all this time. You are lucky that enough time has passed for Hart and Thompson to have forgotten the old signals. As I understand it, the aurors were informed that the secret signs had been compromised and new ones issued; anyone found using the old set was to be lulled into a false sense of security and then covertly detained. Since neither of them replied to your first sign I think you are safe. I assume you signalled because you can't afford to be dosed with veritaserum?"

"Yes."

"You did not know about the clamp down. Why is it you have been out of contact with the Ministry for so long?"

"I have been in deep cover for nearly two decades, and my mission is not yet complete," said David vaguely. "I am not supposed to break cover until it is."

"I knew there was more to you than you told me," said Albus apologetically. "I felt the need to investigate and unwittingly put you in jeopardy. Though if you will accept the criticism of someone who has not been in the field for over half a century, your cover story is sloppy; it invites attention and investigation."

"My deep cover did not include any paperwork since that could have left a clue to my existence. I disappeared. The mission is vital so no risks were taken. It was not expected that I would need or even be able to hold down a job. The background I gave you is mainly true I just omitted the nature of the training I have had."

"I admit to being curious as to why you are here then," said Albus. "You have said before that it is because of Miss Granger, is that true?"

"Yes. My mission is pretty much on hold at the moment because I am waiting for certain events before it can proceed. I discovered that she was in danger by accident; I had no indication of a problem before I healed her in the summer. Since I knew Remus would like to return to Hogwarts but could not do so full time and I had no reason not to I decided to help both of them out and agreed to come here. Sharing the job as we do also enables me to take time away for meetings etc. as required."

"So all the questionable events that were discussed earlier were innocent?"

"You have to ask don't you? Yes, completely innocent. I will confirm under veritaserum if you wish that I do not have nor ever had improper designs on her. I can't confirm that my relationship with her is strictly that of a teacher to a student since I regard her as my 'principal' in the bodyguard and protection detail sense."

"You declared her your 'friend' the night you left," probed Albus.

"I expect you suspected that I knew Harry Potter after the incidents with the Dursley family and Lily's journal? Because of that and after what happened to him I have become protective of those who were close to him. While strictly speaking they are not my friends I have come to regard them as such by extension since I have a lot of knowledge about them."

"That is unhealthy in your line of work, but while it is possible to have no friends for a few months, being undercover for as long as you have I see the need to have some, even if it is by proxy," said Albus sympathetically. "I think given your position it would be best for me to share some information with you. Hart and Thompson believe that Miss Granger is being targeted because of a prophesy which indicates that she will destroy a dark lord the day after the conception of her first child. I only became aware of this prophesy this morning, had I known of it while she was ill I might have acted differently."

David was not pleased at the thought of Hermione being the subject of a prophesy. His own had caused him a lot of suffering and he would not wish that on her. "Can you tell me the actual words of the prophesy? Is it certain that it is about Miss Granger?"

"The exact wording is unknown," said Albus apologetically. "The prophesy was given during a party at which most of the attendees were drunk. So far nobody has been able to supply a clear memory of its wording and since the automatic record at the Ministry can only be retrieved by the person it concerns it has not yet been accessed. Their research so far indicates that it refers to the dark lord being destroyed by the youngest teacher because the darkness cannot abide the growing life within; implying a young female Hogwarts teacher."

"That would appear to contradict the other prophesy I am aware off that was thought to refer to Harry Potter."

"I do not know how you came about knowledge of that prophesy," said Albus disapprovingly, "but it implied that either Voldemort would kill Potter or the other way around, and given the new evidence that Potter was innocent, his death is likely to have been the result of plot by Voldemort. There are also many prophesies which are never fulfilled and so contradictions are bound to arise."

"That's interesting to know, but either way I think it is important to check whether Miss Granger is the subject of the prophesy or not," said David with a smile which did not reach his eyes. Hermione might not be referred to but he thought that he was. "Could it be arranged for her to visit the Department of Mysteries? If it was proved that it was not her then maybe the attempts on her life would stop."

"Sickle for your thoughts," said Remus later than evening when David had given him one word answers to his attempts at conversation for a while.

"I'm thinking about prophesies and fates worse than death," said David sighing. "I am already the subject of one prophesy which has caused a lot of suffering and what I learned today suggests that there might be another one too. Albus thinks it refers to Hermione but I'm almost positive that it means me."

"You may not have had the best experience with them in the past, but prophesies don't only deal with suffering," said Remus gently.

"Well from what I gathered it was slightly positive. The inference is that I will be able to destroy Voldemort – apparently the original prophesy was unclear on that – but that it won't happen for many more years."

"And the time scale worries you? It is comforting to know that you will be successful."

"I suppose. Actually since I don't know the exact text of either prophesy I think I need to somehow arrange for a trip to the Ministry so that I can look them up, preferably with as little publicity as possible."


	26. Growing Anger

Growing Anger 

The revelation that David was a shadow dragon changed Albus's attitude towards him dramatically. Albus appeared keen to make amends for his previous mistrust and spent a lot of time with David during his convalescence. David was not too pleased with the increased contact they had, but thought it better in the long run to endure them and keep Albus happy. They discussed the missing shadow dragons and theories for their abductions as well as their current whereabouts. The location of the missing locket containing a horcrux was also a debated, but so far Albus had been unsuccessful at tracking down Mundungus Fletcher although he had just about proved that Fletcher had 'borrowed' it.

"You're Brian," stated David after Albus had beaten him at chess with a complex seven pronged attack. "David said he had only taught that strategy to one other person. He held it in reserve for if all else failed."

"I haven't been called Brian since David's death," said Albus. "He was the last of my friends who used the name."

"But if you're Brian that means… It changes everything. I am unsure what to do for the best. Perhaps…" David regarded Albus thoughtfully. "Do you believe Harry Potter was innocent?" he asked at length, watching the headmaster closely.

"Yes," said Albus sadly. "After you revealed the continued existence of the Dursley family I re-examined the evidence against him and came to the conclusion that he was innocent. I believe he was framed by Voldemort, but the plot was extremely complex. Somehow Harry was poisoned against me. The day I captured him he truly wanted to kill me. I knew he was in full control of his actions so I was blinded to the idea that he might have been manipulated into them. I have set the ground work in motion for a posthumous retrial."

David kept his intense gaze on the old man. "Do you believe that Harry is dead?"

"I have access to a genealogical tapestry which included the Potters. It records Harry's death and the end of the line. I also checked his corpse and witnessed his burial. I have no doubts on the subject. Harry died in Azkaban after his friends betrayed him; after I failed him."

"One last thing, this is extremely important; have you ever t… s… ug. It appears I can't ask that question. Do you mind calling it a night? I need to think."

Albus had been trying to find out why David was so against him and so uncomfortable in his presence ever since he had first met the wizard. He had very acute hearing for someone his age and had heard David insist that Remus not leave him alone with Albus. He decided that his unveiling as Brian was a good thing and that giving David the space he requested was in their best interests, particularly since he seemed unable at present to talk about whatever it was that troubled him. The same problem had occurred when he had first tried to get David to discuss what Albus had done to offend him. He was obviously under some kind of oath or spell which prevented him from disclosing certain information. Unfortunately there was not much Albus could do about it other than observe David and try to discover from his actions what he wanted to say but was unable to do so.

As soon as Albus had left David firecalled his father. Since he was still confined to his rooms he could not track his father down and needed Severus to visit him instead. "Albus swore the zia oath, not as a zia, but he still swore it," he said as soon as Severus arrived. "If it was still active…" David was unable to complete the sentence, but the implication was clear to Severus.

"Is it possible that it isn't?" he asked immediately.

"The oath is normally sworn to the sovereign. When there is a change of monarch it is renewed with the new one. I do not know if that is a courtesy or whether the oath lapses after the death. Albus is not a zia, he swore the oath to my grandfather and it hasn't been renewed since his death."

"And David Dragon died in 1989."

"Precisely, but if the oath was still in effect in 1995 then my whole concept of events has been manipulated to ensure that whatever happened I would refuse to work with Albus again."

"Proving it either way would be difficult," said Severus doubtfully. "I still think we would be better off confronting Albus and asking him to submit to veritaserum. If he is guilty we could then denounce him. I am still unhappy that you are willing to keep the students at risk." In truth he did not think they were at risk, but he did want to convince David to give Albus a change to tell his side of the story. When they had first discussed it Severus had ordered David to tell Albus, but he had not been obeyed. Severus had puzzled over why his parental bond did not force David to follow his orders, particularly when after their bonding Remus was able to impose his will. The recent revelation that the Weasleys had adopted David had explained things but it had also brought the reality of his own betrayal home to him sharply. The Weasleys had stood by his son despite the whole Wizarding World turning against him, while his own father had aided what he knew was a conspiracy against him.

"I explained that they are not at risk," said David impatiently. "I also explained that we need Albus as a symbol against Voldemort. You agreed with my reasoning."

"Yes I did, but I never liked it. Back to the point in hand, I think we will have to try to break down the structure of the unbreakable vow to see how the participants effect it. It is often sighted as a truism that nothing can be made which cannot be unmade. The unbreakable vow is only called that because it is so complex that nobody has been able to unravel it to the extent of finding out how to break it."

"Research it is then," said David. "Where's Hermione when you need her!"

David returned to work the following Monday. He remarked to Remus that it was probably Remus's turn for some time off, having had to cover all the classes for three weeks in a row, and perhaps he should go and visit his fiancé for a while. The rest of the staff were surprised that Remus did not take him up on the offer. With the moon coming up David took over most of the classes anyway. He was giving the seventh years a practical lesson on blocking unfriendly spells when working with a partner as opposed to a duel situation when something caught his eye. David had allowed the students to choose their partners and Ron and Hermione had paired off. Ron had been on the receiving end of a tripping hex that he had not been able to block because it had been skimmed across the floor at him rather than at chest height. David was about to turn to praise Mr Thomas for his ingenuity when he noticed Hermione grab Ron by the sleeve of his robe to keep him from falling. Ron's sleeve rode up and as soon as he got his balance he hurriedly pulled it down again to fall to the base of his fingers. Something about his manner in doing so attracted David's attention. Ron was embarrassed by the show of skin; ergo there was something he thought had been revealed that he did not want seen.

David gave no indication of his conclusion but simply finished turning to Mr Thomas and awarded him some points for his novel approach to the spell work. As the lesson continued David puzzled over the occurrence. Now that he came to think about the sleeves of Ron's robes always covered his palms. He had dismissed the detail as unimportant since the concept that Ron wore second hand robes that did not fit him was old news. David had initially suspected that Ron was self-harming, but such scars could easily be healed or concealed under a glamour. The implication that there was something wrong with his lower arm or hand which could not be healed or concealed was worrying. David's curiosity was roused and he reasoned that since he had cause to suspect Ron of self-harming he had the right to investigate further. It was always possible that he could be of some help anyway since he had been able to heal his own stubborn curse scar. He asked Ron to stay behind at the end of the lesson.

"Umbridge is going to pay!" David roared at Remus later that evening. "I'm ready to rip her entrails out with my bear hands."

"While I agree with the sentiment," said Remus mildly, "may I ask what brought this sudden vehemence on?"

"What she did to you was appalling, degrading and unforgivable, but I tempered my anger with the notion that she truly believed that you were not human and she would not have behaved like that to someone who was. The prime fault was chauvinism rather than a delight in causing suffering. But I was wrong. She's foul."

"Dare I ask what she did?"

"It turns out that Ron did not believe that I was guilty and thought I had been silenced for proclaiming Voldemort had returned. When she taught here, Umbridge made it her mission to ensure that the students supported the Ministry's version of events. Ron can't keep his mouth shut at the best of times and he refused to back down. She gave him a lot of detentions and used a blood quill on him. He had the words 'Harry Potter is a lunatic' engraved on the back of his hand. He's been lengthening his sleeves to cover the scars ever since."

"The number of hours required to cause that long lasting a mark doesn't bear thinking about," said Remus in horror. "I was aware that she had left Hogwarts under a cloud having been accused of intending to abuse a student. The accusations were dropped and nothing was ever admitted to publicly and it was reported that she left to resume her more pressing duties at the Ministry. That she could use a blood quill for that length of time under Albus's nose…"

"I didn't even know such a ghastly device existed. The person who invented it must have been twisted. Apparently she threatened Arthur's job if Ron ever revealed what happened. I healed the scars for him which is the only reason he agreed to explain. He said there were other victims but they would have similar incentives for keeping quiet. I don't understand it; at least one of them must have visited the hospital wing since then and Poppy should have noticed. As a quidditch player I bet Ron has been in there several times."

"Talk to her, she may have known but the students may have begged her to keep quiet. Hogwarts while Umbridge was here was extremely dangerous. It is possible that Poppy felt keeping their confidences was the best option in the long run. She might be able to point you in the direction of the relevant pupils to heal them."

That night Remus awakened with a start at half past three in the morning. The bond told him that David was in a distraught state. Realising that even if he wanted to be selfish the bond would not enable him to get back to sleep, he pulled on his dressing gown and walked to David's door. Luckily he knew the password so it was easy for him to get in without disturbing anyone else. It would not do for anyone to wonder why he was visiting is colleague at this time of night.

He found that David was obviously in the grip of a nightmare, but no scar had appeared on his forehead allowing Remus to hope that it was not Voldemort induced. Nor was David screaming this time so hopefully the cruciatus curse had also been avoided. Remus was receiving strong emotions through the bond, but they did not include fear and there was no sense of danger either. Remus perched on the edge of the bed called out for David to wake up.

As he opened his eyes David looked warily at Remus, obviously slightly confused that he was there, but then recognition crossed his face. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I thought… blocked the bond… shouldn't…"

"It's quite alright," Remus assured him. "I'd rather you didn't occlude me anyway, I did not know you were doing that. What if you'd had another vision?"

"Sorry."

"Want to talk about your nightmare? It'll help."

"It's my Wilfred's Choice – what could have happened. It's like I know – know what I changed, but I don't know all the time, just in my dreams."

"So something that would have happened was upsetting?"

"Yeah. The blood quill." said David wrapping his arms around his chest and speaking very fast. "It would have been used on me not Ron. In my dream I was living through the detentions I would have had, just like he did, but my hand was engraved with the words, 'I must not tell lies.' I spent hours writing those words in my own blood in the DADA office." He giggled hysterically, "The funny part was that the walls were covered in pieces of china with moving kittens on them. Really bright colours, kinda different to how we have it now." He giggled again. "Like Lockhart had mated with a streeler."

David showed no sign of calming down so Remus got up to find a calming potion. He remembered David giving one to Sirius so with luck he would have one handy. As he hunted Remus made a note to try to find out how Umbridge had arranged her office. If there hadn't been kittens he would be able to reassure David on future occasions that his dreams were part of his imagination, and not his Wilfred's Choice telling him how things might have been.

After Remus had coaxed David, who did not seem to think anything was wrong, to take the potion they chatted about other things for a bit as David calmed down. It being December it did not take long for Remus to feel the cold and start shivering slightly, but he did not want to leave before David was recovered enough to get back to sleep. Either because the potion was suppressing David's normal reaction, or because he craved companionship after reliving the ordeal he had almost lived, David invited Remus to join him under the covers to keep warm.

Remus had no compunctions about taking advantage of the situation, since it was a golden opportunity for pressing forward in David's lessons in affection. He hoped that having shared a bed with him without Remus taking sexual advantage David would feel able to repeat the experience in the future. Remus's long term goal in his re-education plans for David was to have David initiate a sexual relationship with him. He could not do that himself; David would have to be the judge of when he was ready for such a step. Remus had hopes of getting him ready in time for the wedding night, but if he had to wait longer he would. As it was Remus took advantage of David falling asleep to stay the rest of the night. Since David could apparate another person through Hogwarts at will he had no worries about being caught coming out of his colleague's quarters in the morning.

When he woke up David had a better idea, he had a talk to Lady Hogwarts and she obliged them by moving the staff quarters around and allowing David to create a connecting door, which he blended in to the wall so that it would not be obvious to anyone who did not know it was there. Remus took this as a sign that David intended to share a bed with him every night, and was disappointed when this turned out not to be the case. David simply wanted to make it easier for them to spend time with each other unobserved. Remus had to settle for ensuring David knew he was welcome in his bond-mates bed and waited impatiently for an excuse to sleep with him again.

The full moon was soon upon them and afterwards it was not long before term ended. In honour of the season, and with vivid memories on David's part of having to work extra hard in potions at this time of year while other teachers gave their students more leeway, the two DADA teachers took a break from more serious matters to plan festive 'lessons' for the last day of term. David was particularly pleased with the booby trapped Christmas tree he set up for the students to practice detecting and counteracting hexes with.


	27. Advent

Advent 

When it had first been planned, the pupils from the visiting schools had been invited to spend the whole of the Hogwarts Christmas holiday at Hogwarts. The idea was that they would spend time getting to know their counterparts outside the actual ball. When the students had been informed of this they had protested. Hermione Granger had led (or bullied) some Hogwarts students to protest that they would not have enough time for study over the break, particularly those for whom it was their NEWT year. Several Beauxbatons pupils complained about spending so long in the cold Scottish climate, building on the stories of terrible weather that the participants in the Triwizard Tournament had returned with. Someone had also managed to organise a mixed-school petition to be able to spend some of the holiday with their families since if the exchange was for a shorter time-period they could both attend the Yule Ball and spend some time away from school.

The events organisers were not impressed by the protests, but were impressed by the cooperation between the schools which had produced the third one, and so decided to reward it by compromising and scheduling the event to run from the 23rd to the 27th of December with the proviso that for the duration the students would spend time interacting with those from other school and not in solitary study. To enforce this, the Hogwarts Library would be closed for the duration to those students participating in the exchange.

David was quite pleased with the changes. He was not planning on spending the holiday at school, other than during the exchange when he was accompanying Remus incognito, so he was relieved to note that Hermione and her parents would be staying at the Burrow for most of the holiday. He could not see anyone managing to poison her there since Molly was so used to dealing with the twins she could spot foreign foodstuffs a mile off. Neither would the Weasleys allow any unfriendly wizards or witches to come near her.

School had broken up on the 18th, and on the 19th a rather disgruntled looking Ginny Weasley arrived through the floo at Lions' Den. Molly was working hard in her role as matriarch. She was in charge of the arrangements for the wedding and was determined to fix everything herself, despite the fact that the position was really intended for a figurehead rather than a worker. She technically had the right to organise everything herself and nobody had been able to dissuade her, the best they managed was to get her to let Sirius help her from time to time. After pouring over many documents describing how to choose auspicious dates they had finally decided on the 4th of April for the wedding ceremony. The previous full moon was on the 28th which gave Remus long enough to recover beforehand and also meant they would have time for a honeymoon before the next full moon and the beginning of the summer term. With the date decided, the Ministry had to be informed. Molly asked Ron to visit Lions' Den to get the documents she had prepared signed and sealed.

Ron did not know what the documents were about and had no wish to play messenger during his holidays, particularly since his mother had said it might take a while, so he bribed his sister Ginny to deal with them for him. Thus Ginny ended up at Lions' Den only knowing that she had to give the papers to Remus and wait while he dealt with them. Molly could have easily delivered the papers herself, or sent them by owl; her intention had been to introduce David (undisguised) to her children. Ginny had thought that she was going to Remus's home and was surprised by where she found herself. It was very different from what she had pictured. A house elf appeared and asked her business before directing her through to an office. She wondered what the hell was going on while she looked around the room with interest. There were several portraits who were regarding her with equal interest. Ginny's attention was drawn to a particular family group and she was approaching for a closer look when she heard the door open and turned round to see her professor enter.

"I see you're interested in your namesake," he said. "This portrait is of my fiancé's father, aunt and uncle. Ginny Weasley, meet Roger, Godric and Ginevra Dragon," Remus pointed the figures out as he spoke and they each waved friendlily to Ginny. "Ginevra was your grandmother."

"She looks different," said Ginny. "Grandmum died before I was born, but the photos Mum's shown me are nothing like this."

"Ginevra was a metamorphmagus," explained Remus patiently. "This portrait is of how she really looked, she changed her appearance when she distanced herself from the family. David knows more about what happened than I do. Anyway, I understand you wished to see me about something?"

"Um yes," said Ginny holding out the papers she was carrying. "Mum asked me to bring you these, she said I should wait and bring them back when you've dealt with them."

Remus took the papers and glanced through them. "I think it's David you want not me," he said. "Simba!" he called summoning the house elf Ginny had met earlier. "Simba, could you please tell David that Ginny has brought the Ministry letters for him to sign." Simba popped away again and Remus handed the papers back to Ginny. "David will be here shortly, I'm afraid I'm in the middle of something would you mind talking to Ginevra while you wait? If you can spare the time, perhaps you'd stay and chat to David for a while, he doesn't have many friends his own age. I'm sure he'd give you a tour of the house and grounds if you ask, after all it might be interesting to see where your grandmother grew up." Remus left Ginny, hoping that she took up the suggestion and spent some time with David. He was surprised that Molly had sent her, thinking Ron would have been a better option, but perhaps Molly was wise in starting with the less well known sibling.

Ginny turned back to the portrait and asked her grandmother the question she had been wanting answered since she arrived. Where exactly was she? Ginevra's brothers seemed highly amused by her ignorance and refused to enlighten her but instead teased their sister about her granddaughter's ignorance and insisted that Ginny try to guess. She thought she had a good guess with 'The Noble and Most Ancient House of Dragon,' having remembered the tapestry in Sirius's house and guessing that Lions' Den must belong to a well to do pureblood family. The paintings just laughed at her.

"Lions' Den is the ancestral home of the Crimson House," said a voice behind her. Ginny turned round and saw a redheaded boy of about her own age and height. "Ginny Weasley?" the boy asked. "Hi, I'm David Antirrhinum. I see you've been making your grandmother's acquaintance."

"Hi," said Ginny. "Yes, Professor Lupin introduced us. So this is where Lord Crimson lives? Professor Lupin said that my grandmother grew up here, does that mean that she knew Lord Crimson?"

"Yep, she knew him," said the boy sounding amused. "The last Crimson Lord was her father, David Dragon, my namesake. Your grandfather came from a very proud family, and he was worried that they would see his wife as a trophy and parade her about if they knew that she was a zia, so she cut herself off from her family to marry him."

"I thought all zias were homosexual males," said Ginny.

"Not at all, Lord Hapstaff has six daughters. But you're half right, all male zias are homosexual which is useful since they need to be in order to reproduce and keep the line going. By contrast, all female zias are heterosexual and consequently have to marry outside the zia houses. I think it's supposed to have something to do with the attitude the parents have during conception. Since both a zia's parents are male, they are thinking about males during conception, their children are all attracted to men. For a heterosexual couple like your parents, one is thinking about men and the other women at the time of conception and their offspring can be of either or both persuasions."

"When you put it like that, it's logical I guess," said Ginny. "Oh, sorry, I'm forgetting myself, Mum sent me with these papers and Professor Lupin said they were for you. I'm supposed to wait for you to deal with them and taken them back with me."

David took the proffered papers and flicked through them as he walked towards his desk. "This shouldn't take long," he said offering her the seat in front of the desk and then taking his own place behind it. "It's just a case of sign 'n seal, but I should probably give them the once over before I add my mark. Can I offer you a drink or a bite to eat while you wait?"

Ginny readily agreed, she liked what she had seen of this teenager and Professor Lupin had obviously wanted her to engage him in conversation so taking tea with him would be a good start. Her subconscious was suggesting that since he seemed at ease here, he was using the desk and it was a zia household, he was probably a zia and hence homosexual, but her conscious mind hoped that he might not be, after all a secretary would also fit the evidence. She tried to recall everything she knew about the Crimson House, but unfortunately it was not very much. None the less this chore was turning out much more interesting than Ron must have expected. She might as well enjoy herself and still receive the chocolate frogs he had promised her.

David was correct in his assessment; it did not take him long to read and sign the papers; although it helped that he could read exceptionally fast. Once he had done so he reached for his butterbeer and talked to Ginny for a while. She expressed an interest in seeing any other portraits there were of her grandmother which led to him offering to give her a tour. They talked about Ginny's family and David took the opportunity invite her to bring her brothers for a visit if she wished. David was surprised that they had a mutual interest in quidditch and that Ginny had turned out to be on the Gryffindor team. He had not spent his weekends at Hogwarts since the quidditch season had started and had not taken much interest in the Gryffindor team beyond noting that Ron was their captain. Whenever he had heard Minerva talk about a Weasley on the team he had thought she had meant Ron, not Ginny.

When Ginny saw the library she immediately asked whether the Crimson Lord would allow her friend Hermione to visit it and read a few of the books. David had not realised that she had not worked out who he was and was half tempted not to tell her, but decided that yet another secret identity would be far too complicated. Her reaction was along the lines of 'but you're normal.' To which he replied that he was not even fully human.

"Zias are magical beings; we are not 'of woman born' and technically shouldn't exist so we are not classed as wizards or witches. I'm more human than a half giant, since I have one completely human parent and the other was descended from humans, but my fiancé is actually more human than I am since he was born human and he's only a wolf for a few hours each month."

"Professor Lupin's your fiancé?"

"Ah ha, did you he was here chasing boggarts? He's been spending his weekends here with me for a while. Your mum's organising our wedding, that's what the papers were about. They're to let the Ministry know that the Crimson Lord is marrying and they need to cough up the money for the ceremony. But only close family are allowed to know who I'm marrying until the day it happens. We don't want to have to deal with a hate campaign because of Remus's condition. Once he's Sire Crimson it's less likely anyone will want to offend him so hopefully they'll just accept it. If you tell your brothers make sure they understand it must be a complete secret. I get the impression that Ron is almost married to Hermione himself so you can tell her under the same conditions if you want."

Ginny returned to the Burrow having agreed to firecall and arrange a time to bring Ron and Hermione over. That was the start of the reestablishment of the friendship within the trio which became more of a quartet with Ginny now included better than she was before. Before they returned to Hogwarts Molly, David and Remus all impressed on the students how important it was that nobody could connect David with Crimson during the Yule Ball. They explained that since Molly had acknowledged the family connection, it would now be accessible to anyone at the Ministry who wanted to know, and also to some of the older families who also had self-updating genealogical tapestries. Therefore they must not mention that they were related to Remus's fiancé.

Once they were packed and ready to go Remus turned to David and asked, "Are you ready for this? You've done very well with Hermione and the Weasleys and they accept you as a teenager, but we know Albus will be looking to talk to you at some point. Will you be able to cope?"

"Yes," said David, more certainly than he felt. He was nervous, but there was a lot riding on this. Albus would be at their engagement party in a week's time anyway, he might as well get the confrontation over with in a setting where alcohol wouldn't be an issue. They put on their cloaks and apparated to the edge of the school grounds. They arrived half an hour before the visiting schools were due and gathered in front of the school with the rest of Hogwarts' inhabitants to watch them arrive. The scene was eerily reminiscent of there years previously when the last attempt at interschool relations had begun, except this time it was much colder and there was snow underfoot. It appeared that this time the Beauxbatons students had remembered to dress for the weather which made them less grumpy than the previous time.

When everyone made it to the great hall they found that the normal tables had been removed and in their place were dozens of small circular tables. A few students sat down but as more joined the tables they suddenly found themselves thrown out of their seats. After this had happened a few times Albus apologised for his absentmindedness and announced that in order to foster mingling between the schools the chairs would only allow people to stay if there were at least two schools represented on the table. He then broke it to the staff that they were also expected to join in, and that the staff counted as a fourth school. David and Remus decided to set a good example and made their way to one of the groups who had been thrown on the floor and arranged to take the places of two of their number. It was not long before they were chatting animatedly in French with the Beauxbatons group while waiting for the rest of the hall to settle down and the food to arrive. Remus was surprised that David was fluent in French. He himself had learnt the language from his grandmother who had been born in France, but David had never mentioned knowing the language. Still, with everything else David had learnt from the dead the idea of him also learning French was not too far fetched.

Albus had no compulsory activities planned for after supper, given that the visitors had travelled some way and were likely to be quite tired. The Hogwarts staff retreated to their staffroom and grumbled about the meal arrangements. David was introduced and momentarily confused everyone by telling them that 'he'd heard so much about Hogwarts from Viddy.' This led to the planned explanation that Remus's fiancé was a friend of Professor David's and they had met through him.

"We are both named for my grandfather. He was Viddy's apprentice-master," David informed them. "But having two Davids around does confuse things some times, and I refused to be known as Little David."

Severus was thrown into the mix as having 'taught me to make my first potion' and gave his opinion of how abysmal at potions David was as his student. They hoped that since Professor David was acknowledged as a potions expert this would enhance the impression that they were two different people. While David was being given the rundown on the trials of being the spouse of a Hogwarts employee by Pomona's husband, he overheard Minerva quietly ask Remus whether he was sure David was of age. Remus assured her that the soul-bond would not have worked if he was not and that David's physical appearance belied his age. It would appear that Minerva did not connect David with Lord Crimson whom Albus had pointed out to her at the funeral in September.

Albus visited the staff-room briefly to check everything was prepared for the next day. He greeted David with a knowing smile and told him that it was nice to see him under more pleasant circumstances than their last meeting. He warned David that Fudge would be in attendance and would most likely recognise him. David replied that since as a politician Fudge would meet a lot of people he was hoping that the Minister would not, and was not planning on talking to him in any case. If Fudge did recognise him David would cross that bridge when he came to it.

David was not too pleased when they retired for the night and he found he was expected to stay in Remus's rooms. He had wanted some time alone to recharge his mental batteries in preparation for whatever bright ideas Albus had to foster interschool relations the next day. He was also, though he did not like to admit it, worried because his body had been signalling its physical attraction to Remus quite a bit over the week. He did not know how Remus would react if he noticed. True they were engaged to be married, but he was definitely not ready for an intimate relationship, whatever his traitorous body was doing.

David suggested that he could return to his own rooms, but Remus squashed that plan immediately. He explained that not all the visitors had been from other schools and hence had brought their own accommodations with them. Some of the guests were from the ministries who funded the schools. They would be being accommodated within Hogwarts and it was possible that someone was using David's rooms. Since his contract allowed him to be absent during the holidays, Hogwarts was not obliged to provide him with accommodation during those periods and his belongings could well have been put in storage and the room used for someone else over the exchange period. Remus thought the possibility unlikely, but he hoped that he could persuade David to stay with him. He knew if David was really uncomfortable he could return unnoticed to Lions' Den for the night so he was not forcing David's hand, just prodding him in the direction he hoped he would take.

As it was the arrangement worked out to be beneficial to David. He had a Voldemort induced vision in the early morning and Remus was able to awaken him as soon as the cruciati started flying. David only had a few seconds under the curse and so suffered no after effects which would require waking Severus for potions. David's scar had not opened although its former position was sore. This set his mind at rest over his worries that it would appear suddenly when he was with other people if Voldemort got angry enough. By the time a vision got to that stage someone in the know should have got to him. While the vision was not pleasant both men were pleased with the knowledge David had gained. Voldemort's plans had gone wrong and he was now looking towards March for his rebirthing party. They worked out what information needed to be passed on to Albus and went back to sleep happy that they could now enjoy Christmas without having to keep watch so that they could rescue Voldemort's unwilling guest of honour.

The lifting of his stress over Severus's safety made David subconsciously much more relaxed so he did not mind waking up with Remus's arm protectively round him. It was odd but not unpleasant. He lay in bed for a while savouring the chance to lie in, since it would not do for him to go running around the lake like Professor David did each morning. They washed and dressed at a leisurely pace and then went to breakfast, choosing this time to sit with a mixture of Hogwarts and Durmstrang students.

Breakfast was followed by tours of the castle for the visitors and David was none too surprised to find himself encouraged to join one. He could hardly refuse since it would be expected for him to take an interest in his fiancé's place of work. He did find it hard to keep a straight face and not interrupt as his guide prattled on about Hogwarts' history as they walked past the relevant items. Justin Finch-Fletchley was no Hermione Granger. He was proud of his school but a bit off in his facts. Still it could have been worse; David did not like to think what Colin Creevey would have talked about. Colin had been one of the students Poppy had referred David to as an Umbridge victim. It appeared his fixation on Harry Potter had only increased after the trial.

It turned out that the main activity of the day was to be a duelling competition. The students were also being encouraged to form interschool quidditch teams for a mini tournament on Boxing Day. The teams would take time away from duelling to practice so that each team had some pitch time to get to know each other's abilities. The actual matches would be time-limited so that the whole tournament could take place within a winter's day. This made the seeker's job much harder since the snitch had to be caught quickly, although it also meant that the chasers were more important since it was likely that neither side would get the snitch at all.

David found himself being pressed to join a team that Ron was forming. David wondered whether it was Albus or Molly who had put him up to it. Albus had yet to tackle David on the subject of transferring to Hogwarts. David was hesitant about agreeing because he thought his flying could identify him, but Remus and Severus convinced him. They pointed out that nobody had seen him play since his third year and none of his former team mates were present. Remus revealed that he had brought David's broom with him for just this reason. David grumbled good naturedly that Remus had not warned him in advance but was pleased to have the opportunity to play quidditch again. He had been flying around with the snitch but it was not the same by yourself.

Flying with a team after so long was extremely difficult but luckily the seeker position does not require much actual teamwork. David felt he acquitted himself well and Ron seemed pleased with his efforts. In fact Ron was cautiously optimistic about their chances. David had managed to catch the snitch within a quarter of an hour each time they released it and the matches were unlikely to be any shorter.

While the quidditch was fun, David was not keen to join in the duelling. Minerva 'suggested' he would find it more interesting to participate than keep score with the rest of the staff. David was in no doubt that Albus was interested in how he performed. If he did well then Albus would have less reasons for saying that he was not able to protect himself. David had so he replied that he was quite happy keeping score. When Minerva pressed him he admitted that since had known Viddy for years he felt he had an unfair advantage, particularly since he won more than lost against his fiancé. He was quite pleased with the disbelieving look she gave him particularly when it turned to shock after he saw her have a quiet word with Remus. He was not too surprised later when Albus drew near soon after and asked for a word.

Albus led David up to his office explaining that they would not be overheard up there. David considered insisting that Remus be present, but decided that with the layers of lies involved it would be easier to talk one-on-one than have to communicate a strategy. Albus busied himself with providing tea and cake while David made sure to look around his office with interest, as though seeing it for the first time. He also kept a veiled watch on the headmaster to ensure that he did not lace the tea with anything.

The headmaster started the conversation by congratulating David on his engagement. David responded by outlining their reasons for keeping the details under wraps until the actual ceremony and Albus approved of his foresight and political awareness. Albus expressed an interest in why and how David's identity had been concealed until his majority and David explained his parents' and granddad's reasoning. Albus admitted that had he known of the birth of a zia while Voldemort was trying to gain control of one he would have considered euthanasia to prevent that. David's conviction that Albus had raped him had been falling since the revelation that Albus had taken a zia oath and his respect for the man increased with this admission. It took a lot of integrity to admit to the face of an extremely powerful person, both magically and politically, that you would have killed that person. It would have been safer to protest that such a suspicion was groundless.

As they talked Albus's respect for David also grew. The young man was politically aware and knew his own limits. He was fiercely against discrimination, both against magical creatures and muggleborn wizards and witches. Albus predicted that he would be a force for good in wizarding Britain. With the end by assassination of three zia houses and the exodus of two others the policy of the Ministry had come to rest with families like the Malfoys who unlike the zia lords were not sworn to protect the interests of the general population. Before his death David Dragon had managed to keep the power balance in favour of the political left but Lord Hapstaff was not competent enough to champion citizens' rights on his own. He tended to bury his head in the sand, as he had when Albus had approached him for help over the missing shadow dragons. He was honourable and did not betray confidences or work for solely monetary gain, but regarded his oath as forbidding him from doing active damage rather than requiring him to prevent other people from doing it. Albus saw in David a possible catalyst for whipping the Ministry back into shape so that it actually served the wizarding community. All this increased his wish to persuade the zia to transfer to Hogwarts so that he could get to know him better.

As Albus was considering how best to present his suggestion for a transfer he noticed a wooden ring on David's right middle finger. Wood was not a usual material for a ring which made Albus immediately connect the sight with that of the ring his DADA professor wore. Professor David wore his ring on exactly the same finger. He remembered that the last Crimson Lord had been a metamorphmagus, and that his son Roger, this David's father, had been a highly sort after healer. He recalled how Minerva had been worried about Professor David's reaction to Remus's engagement since she had thought that there had been something between them. As a zia it would not be unheard of for David to have started his magical education early and he could have known Nicolas Flamel. The actual content message from Nick could have been faked; all it had actually proved was that Professor David had known Nick well enough to know the identification part. Albus was warming to his line of reasoning when he hit a dead end; Professor David had far too much experience to be only seventeen.

Professor David's understanding of some subjects rivalled Albus's own. Also Albus was convinced that the professor had been trained as a shadow dragon. He knew too much about their modes of operation for it to have been otherwise. He had also claimed that David Dragon had trained him personally. Albus could not imagine his friend training a nine year old as an elite auror. Nor could Albus envisage David Dragon not telling Brian that he had a grandson if he had known about him. David had always been interested in the continuation of his house and he had become obsessed after the deaths of his spouse and children in finding another soul-mate so that he could have another child. Of course the more likely possibility was that Professor David was another member of the Crimson House. It would explain his power level; not just anyone could apparate to Majorca several times in one day with no ill effects. If one zia had been hidden it was possible that another had as well. If David Dragon had sent Professor David on a deep undercover mission he would have had no way of knowing whether he had died or not so he would have still obsessed over his line. If the professor were not in the direct line he could not have inherited the title and it seemed he intended to remain hidden until his mission was complete in any case.

"You have an interesting ring," Albus observed quietly. "I was wondering whether it had some particular relevance. I have seen Professor David wearing a similar one."

David looked at him searchingly. "Yes," he conceded. "Viddy made it for me."

"There's much about Viddy that I'm curious about," admitted Albus and he proceeded to outline his reasoning.

"You are correct," said David slowly. "Viddy is a Crimson zia, and his existence has been hidden. It must remain hidden at least for the present."

"I will keep quiet on the matter," said Albus agreeably before changing the subject. "I was wondering what your opinion of Hogwarts is. You are after all descended from one of our founders so I imagine you were eager to visit. Does she compare favourably with your own school?"

"I don't think there is anywhere else like Hogwarts," said David neutrally. "And whether you prefer your own school depends on whether you've just had detention or received a commendation. Remus and Sirius are very fond of Hogwarts."

"Would you like to transfer here? It is unusual but not unheard of and your family has always studied here. I believe Mr Weasley would be keen to put your quidditch talents to good use were you to become a Gryffindor, and our library is one of the best in the world."

"I do not want any favours because you were a friend of my grandfather," said David flatly. "For all you know I could have been expelled from my last school and have been home-tutored ever since. I thank you for the offer, but I think I will continue where I am."

Albus noted that David did not refer to not wanting to leave his friends behind. He found this odd since having watched the young man interact with the other students he seemed the sort to be popular even without his position being known.

"It is traditional for the descendants of the founders to be educated at Hogwarts," he told David. "I tried to contact you over the summer to offer you a place but the letter was returned undelivered. I intended to discuss it when we met in September but I did not get the chance. Why don't you take some time to think about my suggestion? Perhaps talk it over with Remus and Sirius. There is no need for you to decide it right now, and coming here would mean you were closer to Remus. I believe the regulations require the school to give you a sheep…"

"Goat, Albus," put in one of the portraits, "he can keep a goat on the quidditch pitch."

"Thank you Dilys," said Albus. "I have a bit of a blind spot about goats," he confided to David. "My brother Alberforth was convicted of practicing inappropriate charms on a goat and my brain tries to forget that such animals exist."

After a bit more inconsequential chatter David and Albus returned to the great hall to see how the duelling competition was going. David joined Remus who was helping to sort out those students who had been on the receiving end of hexes and curses and required assistance to counteract them. David lent a hand and in a lull in the work Remus informed him that he had just found out that the staff Christmas party was taking place after supper. Remus had expected that it would not take place during the exchange because the teachers would be needed elsewhere, but it appeared that Albus thought it would improve interschool relations if the visiting teachers were asked to join in. Remus warned David to watch his drink carefully particularly around Sibyll. Both men shuddered at the idea of a repeat performance of Sibyll playing strip poker, one in memory and one in imagination.

As it was there was no getting out drinking alcohol that evening. The witch from the Department of International Cooperation had thought she was doing the staff a favour by organising a random draw to select two members of staff to stay sober and cast sobering charms on the rest if an emergency arose. Several Hogwarts teachers, possibly with their own horrible memories from previous years, tried to limit their intake only to find themselves being confronted by their Durmstrang counterparts who were knocking it back like pumpkin juice and would not take no for an answer.

Severus had had the forethought to excuse himself briefly and then to supply himself, Remus and David with a potion to reduce the alcohol's effects and avoid dangerous disclosures. Unfortunately David's potion got spotted by one of the Durmstrang teachers who confiscated it before gathering his colleagues to teach David how to drink like a real man. All Remus could do was too look on in horror at the thuggish behaviour of supposedly responsible adults and then use their bond to ensure David was unable to say anything incriminating. He and Severus, along with Sibyll and a wizard from Beauxbatons were the only sober people in the room. Remus was thankful for small mercies since Sibyll had not been allowed to drink, and he realised it was only a very small mercy as he watched Minerva trying to manoeuvre Severus nearer the mistletoe while under the mistaken impression that he was Albus.

When they were finally able to leave, Remus dragged David back towards his rooms and once they out of sight performed a sobering charm on him. Given the amount David had consumed it was only likely to work for half an hour but it would be enough for him to get to bed. Breakfast on Christmas morning was a leisurely affair and he could leave David to lie in and sleep it off.


	28. Christmas Day

Christmas Day 

Remus awoke to David screaming at about three in the morning.

"Voldemort," said David as soon as Remus woke him up. "Father's there. He's back. No time. Got to go."

As David swung his legs over the side of the bed to stand up Remus got over the panic of the situation and said, "You can't go like that. Your scar…"

"Right," David mumbled and disapparated still in his pyjamas.

Severus was half sitting, half lying, tied up against a tombstone in a manner he guessed was almost identical to how his son had been two and a half years previously. He had been the guest of honour at Voldemort's rebirthing party. As he watched his former master summon his still loyal followers Severus contemplated how all this could have been avoided. Voldemort had been clever to realise that Harry was not dead but was still having visions of his plans. That fact had been revealed during his trial to enable Fudge to bring in the articles Rita Skeeter had written in support of Harry's insanity. There must also be a leak in the Order through whom Voldemort had found his plans had been discovered. It had been clever to manufacture a vision to lull them into a false sense of security.

Even with all Voldemort's planning Severus himself could have ruined everything. Had he got drunk with the rest of his colleagues he would have slept through the knocking on his door half an hour previously and would not have taken the portkey from his student. He wondered idly whether Elsa Knight knew what she was doing or if someone had manipulated her. It was possible that she had looked on in horror as he disappeared and then gone running to the headmaster. Albus could show up at any moment to save him, but he doubted that. Severus held little hope of being rescued. He had dampened down on the parental-bond link so that David would not know what was happening. David was drunk and in any case needed more information before he could destroy Voldemort. He was not going to let his son risk everything to save him.

After all this thought Severus was extremely annoyed when he heard a familiar voice in his ear telling him to keep quiet and play along. A strip of cloth was shoved through the ropes and into his hand. Then Harry, for it was Harry that David was looking and sounding like, staggered drunkenly forward and started mouthing off at Severus for fixing his trial and sending him to Azkaban. The Death Eaters and Voldemort looked on in amusement at the unexpected entertainment. Harry started sending curses drunkenly at Severus and Severus hoped that he was the only one who realised that Harry was not quite as drunk as he was making out. Severus saw the red light coming towards him at neck level and prepared himself to face his death convinced that it was a cutting hex and his son had indeed lost control. His last coherent thought was that when they both reached the afterlife he would have a lot to say to his son for attempting a drunken rescue. Then instead of feeling his neck slice open he felt a tug around his navel and was dumped via a portkey in front of Remus, presumably in his Hogwarts apartment.

Remus who appeared to have been pacing nervously turned sharply at the sound of Severus arriving. The portkey's accuracy had been off, although not bad for a drunken attempt, and he had appeared at waist height and had hit the ground hard. Remus checked Severus for injuries and on finding nothing more serious than a broken arm which he strapped up. Severus's hair had also been cut off short, suggesting that David's plan had worked and the hair was now providing the burnt remains required to suggest that Severus had died. Remus helped Severus to his feet and asked what had happened. Severus sank tiredly into an armchair explained how he had been abducted, he skimmed over the events in the graveyard simply saying that Voldemort had regained a body, before ranting about how David had gatecrashed the Dark Lord's rebirthing party as drunk as a lord. Despite his anger and harsh words it was obvious that he was extremely worried about David's wellbeing.

"He's still alive," Remus reassured him. "He's happy actually, like he's having fun."

"That's because he's drunk," grumbled Severus running a hand through his jagged locks. "He's probably charming the Death Eaters robes pink while their sending the AK his way. Can't you order him to come home?"

"I've tried, must be the distance because it didn't work. He must be freezing in his pyjamas though so hopefully that'll make him want to get back."

They lapsed into silence and Remus started pacing again. "Do you think we should wake Albus?" he asked after a few moments.

"No," said Severus firmly. "We don't know where they are. I'd guess Little Hangleton but I'm not sure. Also David turned up as Harry so we'd best keep Albus away from him. I know we both think Albus probably wouldn't hurt Harry, but David said Albus is certain Harry is dead so he'd think he was facing an inferi or something which would just give David another opponent and I don't think he can afford the distraction. I don't like it either, but we've got to wait it out and hope he's sober enough to go through with the original plan."

"I guess we could be doing our bit then instead of hanging around," said Remus. "Don't you have potions you're supposed to be taking?"

"You're right," said Severus resignedly pulling himself to his feet. "If we're going to do this I should get the declarations out of the way. I'll need your help since I can't use my wand hand."

Severus talked Remus through casting the magic required for Severus Snape to cease to exist. Later they could sort things out for the formal appearance of Severus Antirrhinum, but that would require David's help assuming he survived the night.

The pair flooed to Severus's quarters. They retrieved the wand and the appearance changing potions they had ready for this occasion. Severus had expected that he would loose his wand. The potions were legal simply because they were so extremely difficult to make and the ingredients were hard to come by that it had not been high on the Ministry's agenda to outlaw them. Severus had never even considered making them for Sirius when he was on the run, but David's ability to apparate anywhere in the world and his contacts with vampires had given them access to what was needed. It also took two talented potions masters to brew them so before David's training it would not have been possible. A few minutes after taking the first one Severus already looked completely different. His curly red hair gave him a much softer appearance and had been chosen to match David's own natural style.

There was a knock on the door to Severus's rooms. The two wizards looked at each other wondering what to do. The knocking increased in volume. "Should I…?" asked Remus.

"No, I'll get it, you hide in the bathroom. I can pretend to be my own lover or something."

It was Albus at the door. He had been returning to his chambers after playing Father Christmas for the house elves when he had been accosted by Elsa Knight, a Slytherin second year. When he had calmed her down enough to be coherent he had found out that Severus had disappeared. Although the latest intelligence he had been sent by Lord Crimson had indicated that the danger had been delayed for a few months he concluded that the Death Eaters were the most logical abductors. Albus woke Minerva and sobered her up, thinking that Sibyll was not the best choice for dealing with a distraught student, and left her to look after Miss Knight while he investigated what had happened to the potions master.

Albus had not expected to be confronted by a stranger dressed in pyjamas. The wizard who answered the door introduced himself as Severus's partner and explained that Severus had been called away to deal with a problem with one of his students. Albus's subtle questioning revealed that this unknown wizard knew a lot about Severus's habits which added credence to his story about them being lovers. Albus noted that he did not want to let Albus into the rooms and was also eager for Albus to depart. Taken together with the rips in his clothing and their general muddy and possibly bloody appearance Albus felt the need to investigate further before searching elsewhere for his missing teacher. The man had not opened the door completely so that half his body was hidden. Albus said goodnight and allowed the stranger to see him walk away. Once out of sight he turned himself invisible and moved back down the corridor. He cast an eavesdropping spell and listened to what was going on inside Severus's rooms.

"He's back!" Remus suddenly announced. He concentrated hard. "It's really difficult to reach him. He's injured, but he says Voldemort thinks you're both dead." Remus paused. "He's drifting a bit. He's not sure where he is, he's trying to find out from the castle… Oh, it's our office. He's gone again. No wait a moment; he says the spy is P… He's completely gone now. Are you done? We need to go and find him now!"

Severus downed the remaining two potions which would stabilise the changes and then asked Remus to banish the evidence before they left. He pulled a bag out of the cupboard as they went. Unknown to the two wizards they were being followed by Albus. He had had recognised one of the voices in the room as belonging to Remus which had only increased his curiosity. The mention of Voldemort worried him, particularly since it was implied that he was back. Albus was unsure as to whom 'he' was but he expected 'he' went by the name David, although Severus was also a possibility.

Albus followed the two wizards as they ran through the castle. They were making their way to the DADA classroom, which he supposed made some kind of sense having found the pair in the potions domain. Albus followed them inside the DADA office and stood just inside the door as the others examined a figure on the floor. He could not get a good look at the figure because Remus and the stranger were in the way.

"He's alive even though I still can't feel him," said Remus waving his wand over the figure. "But he's in a bad way. Several broken bones and I think one of his ribs has punctured his lung. Can you do anything for him?"

"Strapping up the bones will prevent further damage," said Severus. Albus noticed that one of his arms was in a sling. "You'll have to do it. He will need a real healer though. If I could use my wand arm I might be able to help, but as it is…"

"Poppy's the nearest."

"No," said Severus firmly. "Voldemort got his information somehow and David referred to the spy as P. We can't risk it. What about Tonks? She would have basic healer training as an auror."

"Can we get her here in time and without anyone seeing?" asked Remus doubtfully. "If he's not alright in the morning he will be missed and we can't let anyone see him like that. What's the limit on what he can cure for himself?"

"I'm not sure, but he can't do anything while he's unconscious. I could give him a stimulant and we could see."

"I think it's worth a try. Do you have the right potion on you?"

"Yes," said Severus and he fished a pink potion out of his bag. Between them they raised David's head and gave him the potion and lay him back down. A few moments later David opened his eyes and looked up at them, but his eyes were focused on a spot behind them.

"Show yourself Albus," he said resignedly. "You might as well hear the whole story before you kill us." Severus had Remus snapped their heads around to see what David was looking at and took on resigned looks themselves as Albus removed his invisibility spell. They looked more hopeful than David but not by much.

"Remus, perhaps you would enlighten me as to what is going on?" asked Albus mildly his gaze flicking between the three wizards. His eyes widened a bit as he got a better look at David and took in the messy black hair, green eyes and lightning bolt scar, but he said nothing further.

"Certainly Albus," said Remus with remarkable composure as if he might have been about to explain the feeding habits of hinkipunks rather than the tangled web of deceits he was caught up in. "But first I would like to ensure that David isn't going to die on us."

"I'll be fine," David assured him quietly. His eyes lingered on the discarded potions phial beside him. "Severus's pick me ups are very useful. I should have enough time to cure myself before it wears off. I'm afraid I'll have to leave the explanations to the two of you. A sobering charm would help if you would?" Remus cast the charm and then a crimson glow formed around David's body as he got to work. David's fellow conspirators left him to it. They sat down in the chintz armchairs Albus conjured for them and began to explain.

Albus listened patiently. He questioned them both over their certainty that the man on the floor was actually Harry Potter, but the mind ritual proved that he was closely blood related to Severus so they were able to convince him. The story was unbelievable on so many levels, that a seventeen year old with only four years of magical education had been successfully masquerading as a teacher was hard to take in. That he was also Harry Potter and the Crimson Lord, and had spent time in the realms of the dead just increased the problem. Despite all that, Albus had to admit that the story made a lot of sense, and the evidence was in front of him. It explained many of the things that he had been wondering about. The events they related were not impossible, just highly improbable, but with Harry Potter the improbable seemed to be a regular occurrence, particularly when his life was in danger. It also simplified things to find that the two people he found strange and had never heard of were actually one in the same person who he did know.

When David had finished healing his own injuries he morphed back into his natural appearance and healed his father's broken arm. He then spent a long time working over Severus's dark mark. He blocked the connection to Voldemort but did not remove the mark since he did not have the strength to do so following on from the other events of the evening. David would remove the mark when he was sober, fit and could take his time over it. He and Severus ran through the events of the night and David explained that he was strongly occluding his mind so that Voldemort would believe he was dead, which was why Remus and Severus could no longer feel his presence through their bonds. He went on to say that the spy Voldemort had referred to was Percy Weasley. Nobody was happy with this news and they hoped that Percy had been under the imperious curse. None of them wanted to think about what Molly's reaction to her favourite being a Death Eater would entail.

When the question of what had really happened that summer was raised neither David nor Severus was able to answer in detail. Severus had already explained that he knew what had happened and believed in his son's innocence but he had been unable to elaborate. Remus took up the tale and outlined his own suspicions, including that the secrecy vow was made to Albus. On hearing this Albus ritually released both men from the vow and they found that they were able to discuss the events.

Albus immediately assured them that he had not been the person David made the vow to and David agreed that since finding out about Albus's 'past occupation' he had had his own doubts on the matter. At this point the stimulant began to wear off and it was agreed that further discussion could wait for a more convenient time. Remus helped David back to their rooms where he took a dose of revitalicorpus before falling asleep. Severus remained with Albus for a few minutes to discuss how he was going to disappear and the future of Severus Antirrhinum, before he left the castle and apparated to Lions' Den. It would not do for the second Severus to show up immediately after the supposed death of the first.

David and Remus slept late on Christmas day, not getting out of bed much before eleven. They opened their presents and were both delighted to have received jumpers from Molly, particularly since she had not known they were 'family' for very long and would have had to work very quickly. Due to his position, David was expected to exchange gifts with a lot of people he did not know and he had made sure that all such presents would turn up at Lions' Den for him to deal with when he returned. Only people who knew him would be able to get their gifts to him on the 25th.

David had taken perverse pleasure in organising his gifts to some people. Cornelius Fudge would be receiving a charcoal sketch of Merlin that David had drawn himself and then had animated to make rude gestures at Fudge whenever nobody who liked him was looking at it. He hoped that Fudge would have it on display in his office, since it appeared to be such a personalised gift, and he was delighted by the idea that Fudge was being insulted regularly on his behalf. He had sent a similar sketch to Albus and made a note to change the animation as soon as he got the chance. He had a sneaking suspicion that Albus would ask him not to since it would appeal to his sense of humour.

Christmas lunch was a small affair due to the evening feast. David chatted to a Russian Durmstrang student in his native tongue since his English was very poor. The student had been left out of most of the activities since he could not communicate very well with his British or French counterparts. He was thrilled to find someone who could speak Russian and David had great difficulty getting rid of him later in the day without offending him. Remus commented on David's skill with languages and he replied that it ran in the family. The wink he gave belied the simplicity of his explanation and led Remus to suspect that the ability was not natural.

In mid afternoon Albus called David up to his office where he had Kingsley Shacklebolt waiting. Albus introduced David as Lord Crimson and had him run through the events of the previous night and the evidence he had been given of Percy Weasley being a spy as if his own spy had collected it. Albus informed them that Percy was likely to be present at the ball to 'carry Fudge's bowler hat.' They planned how to separate him from his employer for a while and interrogate him. Next Albus informed Kingsley that Harry Potter was still alive, although they thought Voldemort believed him to be dead, and they had managed to break the secrecy vow he had been under. He asked Kingsley's advice on how to get Harry's statement without exposing his continued existence. Kingsley had no immediate answer to give by promised to consider the problem. He stated that even if they could not use an official statement the information Harry could provide them with could be used to track down other witnesses.

When Kingsley had left Albus asked David if he would explain what had happened that had turned him against Albus. David said that he doubted he could talk about it yet because he had only been able to properly process what had happened since the vow had been removed, but he was willing to show Albus the main events. Albus agreed, and after warning him that the memories were extremely unpleasant David produced a mist and projected his memories for Albus to view.

Albus watched the figures. He saw Harry leave the Dursleys' home with his uncle in a car and being left in the middle of the countryside. He was met by Fillius Flitwick. Then Harry fell to the ground, presumably stunned, and the scene changed to the hospital wing. He saw himself beside Harry's bed when the boy woke up. He heard himself explain that Harry had been abducted but that they had rescued him. Harry had questioned whether Professor Flitwick had been involved.

"It is time some things were explained to you," Albus heard himself say. "But we can't afford this information to fall into the wrong hands. There is a way to ensure that they can't force you to divulge what you know." He went on to explain about a secrecy vow and even cautioned Harry that a person should only give one to someone he trusted. Then Harry made the vow not to discuss what had happened since he had left the Dursleys or what happened during the rest of the day. Harry appeared very amenable and Albus suspected that he had been drugged so that he would not think too much about the consequences of his actions.

"I'm going to speed this bit up," croaked David, his eyes tight shut. The figures moved faster and their words were undecipherable. Albus forced himself to watch as his figure brutally raped Harry's figure. "You're… He's telling me that he's done this before," said David still not looking at the re-enactment, "but that he's obliviated me afterwards. He's talking about other students who he…" There were tears streaming down his face now. The images slowed again. "This is where Peter came in." said David.

A rat scurried up behind the impostor and transformed into Peter Pettigrew. He stunned the impostor and then disentangled him from Harry and carried Harry out of the room. The scene changed again to show Peter helping Harry to clean up and giving him something to eat. David fast forwarded it again. "We talked," he said quietly. "Peter was under a secrecy vow too, but he hinted that it wasn't you. We planned how I could get to you without being caught by the impostor." The scene changed once more and Albus saw himself confronting Harry and shooting the killing curse at him. He remembered confronting Harry but not trying to kill him. It appeared the impostor was still at work. He watched as Harry escaped and then came the meeting he did remember. Harry attacking him wildly and shouting that he would kill him. Albus still dreamt of the look in Harry's eyes as he yelled; the naked hate was frightening.

The mist disintegrated and David opened his eyes and turned to Albus. "I didn't believe it was you, but after the AK I was no longer thinking straight. It was like my world had turned upside down and everything I thought I knew turned out to be wrong. When I was in the cell at the Ministry I had time to think and decided it wasn't you even when you drugged me to throw the trial. I wanted so much to believe that it was an impostor. But then when you visited me in Azkaban and kept making references to what had happened, and ordered the wardens to continue… it took a few months but in the end I accepted that it must have been you. Then when I escaped I kept that opinion. Severus saw my memories and Remus deduced them, both of them tried to persuade me that I was wrong, but I couldn't take the chance. I am really sorry for doubting you."

"We were both victims of Voldemort's plot," said Albus gravely, "He gains by dividing us. You have sort to do me no harm so an apology is superfluous. I did do you harm so I offer my own although I don't for a moment believe it is enough. I assure you that I did not cast the killing curse at you, nor did I interfere with your trial or ever visit you in prison. I am amazed, given what I've just seen and what I actually did, that you did not attack me again the moment you escaped."

"I can't say that I didn't want to," said David softly, "but I thought you were needed as a symbol against Voldemort. I was biding my time until I'd got rid of him. Severus also believes that it was you who asked him to make the dementialis potion. He accompanied you to force me to drink it. I think I should apologise for a certain hex you are under – I did it to protect the students. I am of course now willing to remove the hex."

"Thank you," said Albus. "Until last night I had no suspicions that you had cast it. It will be nice to be able to walk around without gloves." After David had removed the hex Albus changed the subject. "I understand now why you felt the prophesy did not refer to Miss Granger. You do seem a more likely subject."

"Yes, and I know I am the youngest Hogwarts teacher ever," said David. "You hired me before I even came of age! But I can't exactly tell everyone that."

"No, I do see the problem," agreed Albus. "You know you could keep a closer watch over Miss Granger as a student. The offer to transfer is still open. While I admit that your knowledge would make most of the classes a bit boring, actually taking your NEWTs would be a good idea. It helps to have proof of your abilities."

"I see where you're coming from," said David thoughtfully, "but after all that has happened I find it very hard to behave like a teenager. In many ways I have lived so much longer, I am nearer Remus's age than theirs. I would like to become friends with Ron and Hermione again, but I am worried that we have grown too apart. Besides, what would you do for a DADA teacher?"

"I'm sure I'd think of something, I think it might be a good excuse for having an auror on the premises and there's always a time-turner. As I understand your main reason for not revealing yourself to your friends was that they were my students, so perhaps now you would feel able to do so. You could see what they think about the matter."

"I'll consider it," agreed David. "I am tempted by the chance to be a student again. But I would need to be able to commute to Lions' Den at the weekends to keep up with my work."

"That can be arranged," said Albus. "You would not be the first ruling zia to attend Hogwarts."

"Oh, one other thing," said David, smiling although his face was still tear streaked. "I sent you a sketch for Christmas before last night's revelations and I don't think it's appropriate anymore. I sent a similar one to Fudge."

"Ah yes, I was intrigued by that picture," said Albus. "And if I might take the liberty to suggest a slight alteration to the animation it would then make a superb piece to add to my office." He sobered up a bit. "We really failed you didn't we," he said. "Nobody spotted that you were a zia, a metamorphmagus or had a talent for art."

"I think a course on wizarding culture for students who have been raised by muggles would be a good initiative," responded David neutrally.

As David left the office he considered that although it had been difficult for him to bring up the memories of three summers ago for Albus to see, in some ways it had helped the healing process. The wounds of the betrayal were no longer raw. Now that he was certain that it had not been Albus, that the adult he most trusted had not betrayed that trust in such a way, that his original instincts had been correct all along, David felt much more comfortable around other people. The process had begun when he had connected Albus with Brian, but the conversation that afternoon had reinforced it. Albus had lowered his barriers and allowed David to probe his mind to see for himself that he was speaking the truth. David was confident in his own legimency skills, since if he could enter Voldemort's mind without being detected he could easily determine Albus's intentions, and he now knew Albus was being honest with him. David even allowed himself to hope that this new level of peace within himself would enable him to finally cure his magical repression. It would be nice to be able to make the ball glow red and no longer have to use a ring to focus his magic.

David felt the ball was much more enjoyable than the previous one. It helped that this time he liked his partner and did not have to open the dancing either. Sirius was there as a Hogwarts governor and his presence did much to liven up proceedings. While Remus and David were in mufti, Sirius had worn insignia to indicate his position as steward to the Crimson House. David privately believed that this was to annoy Fudge in particular. David himself made sure to steer well clear of Fudge which took little effort because he was mostly in the company of a Weasley, Sirius of Remus none of whom Fudge would seek out.

The tables were still set up to ensure that the guests talked to people they did not know. David had hopes that Fudge would not know about the rules and would get thrown to the floor but it did not happen since there was a seating plan. Mingling between students and teachers was obviously not on the agenda for the evening and Remus and David found themselves seated with the Sprouts and some of the Beauxbatons teaching contingent. After the events of the staff party they all felt glad to be nowhere near their Durmstrang counterparts. As the only one who had been sober, Remus assured them that they were best off not remembering clearly what had happened.

Once the feast was over, the tables were cleared away and the dancing began. In the absence of Triwizard champions the ball was being opened by the head boy and girl of each school. David watched as Ron made a valiant effort not to tread on Hermione's toes. It appeared that Hermione wasn't comfortable in letting him lead since he was not doing as good a job of it as she felt that she would have done. David crossed his fingers that they would still be together by the end of the ball. They did not have much choice in the long run with their soul-bond given that they were rare enough he doubted either would want to break it as he had tried to do, but they could still break up temporarily after an argument which would cause a lot of heart ache.

After watching from the sidelines for a while Remus reminded David that the whole purpose of spending the last two months learning to dance was so that they would dance and they joined the other couples on the floor. David's concentration was off since he was trying to keep a subtle watch on Percy but fortunately it was Remus who was leading, since he was the taller and more experienced it made sense for him to. Sirius appeared to be enjoying himself immensely. He had arrived with a stately looking witch and they seemed to be getting on really well. Half way through the evening he brought her over and introduced her to David.

It turned out that Sirius's companion's name was Emmeline Vance and she was a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Remus asked Emmeline for a dance to allow Sirius and David a chance to talk. David gave Sirius the highlights of the night's activities carefully so as not to make sense to anyone overhearing them. Sirius did not appear too upset by the news that Voldemort had returned, which explained to David was because they needed it to happen anyway. Now that it had been accomplished and their plan had been successful they could get on with the next phase. As they were talking David lost track of Percy and assumed that he had been taken off for questioning. He crossed his fingers, hoping that Percy had not deliberately given Voldemort information, although from what he had heard about Percy, if he had been spying it would have been on Fudge's orders. The prospect of implicating Fudge in Death Eater activities was quite tempting.

As the evening drew on David saw Hagrid escorting Olympe Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons, out towards the rose garden. He cringed at the memory of unwillingly overhearing their previous encounter their and then smiled as that led to the image of his father blasting rose bushes and taking points from trysting couples. He wondered how the school would take the news of the death of their least liked teacher. When Severus returned to take up the posting he would have to cope with their reactions. His former persona might have been an act, but it would still hurt that he was not liked. David thought Severus believed that some of the Slytherins did like him and were not just pleased with his favouritism. He knew that Severus had a soft spot for Draco Malfoy that had nothing to do with his parents.

Towards the end of the ball David noticed Percy reappearing, looking subdued but his presence was a sign that he had been foolish not disloyal. Shortly afterwards he found himself dancing with an unfamiliar Ministry official who turned out to be Tonks in disguise. She told him that Percy was a little too enamoured with his boss. He had indeed been a spy, but for Fudge not for Voldemort. It had been explained to Percy that the information he had passed on had probably led to the death of Severus Snape and he had not taken the news very well. Tonks said that after hearing that he had offered to resign from the Order and so it had not even been necessary to kick him out. It was generally reckoned that Percy's position in the Ministry had been gained not on merit but because Fudge knew his family were closely involved with Dumbledore and wanted information on his activities. Now that Percy would no longer be able to provide it he would probably loose his privileged position which, given his ambition, was considered punishment enough for his transgressions, after all in the end no actual harm had been done.

The ball closed at midnight and the students were reminded that there was the quidditch tournament the next day so they should go straight to bed. As he walked back towards Remus's rooms David considered that it had been both on of the best and one of the worst Christmases he had ever had. When he recalled that Fudge had not been able to work out who was subtly moving his plate and glass while he was eating and had got more and more flustered, David considered that on the whole he would say it had been a good day. Fudge baiting was always fun.


	29. David Meets the Order

David meets the Order 

The quidditch tournament the next day was a great success. The organisers of the exchange were very pleased with the levels of integration and cooperation between the players from different schools and the few staff members who took part. Only three seekers managed to catch the snitch within the time limit and David was the one who did so the most to the delight of his captain. This meant that the Red Lions, as Ron had insisted on naming the team in honour of the number of red headed players, were the tournament champions. David was grateful for the chance to play again on the pitch where he had first learnt the game and almost as pleased as Ron on their victory. His joy was tinged with regret over all the opportunities to play for his house which he had missed.

After the tournament Ron led the team up to Gryffindor tower to celebrate. Most of the Red Lions were members of the Gryffindor house team. They had added a member from each visiting classification; staff, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. The foreign students joined in politely but soon excused themselves to return to their own friends. This gave David the opportunity to ask Ron, Hermione and Ginny for a word in private. He led them through the school towards the Room of Requirement. Along the way Hermione asked him several times if he knew where he was going and he simply assured her that he had a very good memory.

David asked the castle to produce a comfortable place for a difficult conversation and when they walked in they found a ring of four squashy armchairs with a table of drinks and biscuits in the middle. Once they were inside David ensured that they could not be overheard or disturbed and sat down with the others.

"I've got something to tell you," he started hesitantly. "It's not public knowledge but it involves someone you knew so the headmaster suggested you were informed. Yesterday, in the early morning Voldemort returned."

Whatever the three Gryffindors had been expecting it was not that. Both Weasleys flinched at the name and Ron choked on his butterbeer. The two girls went pale. "You're certain?" asked Hermione tentatively.

"Yes. Voldemort believes that there were no witnesses other than his loyal followers. There were two other people present and we think he believes that both were killed. However one did survive and told us what happened, that is what concerns you three; Harry Potter was there."

David watched their reactions carefully. Hermione looked thoughtful. Ron looked shocked, but Ginny just nodded. "I knew he was alive," she said simply.

"But, but…" protested Ron blindly. "He died. Dumbledore himself checked the body. He said there was no doubt."

"Harry always survived where anyone else could not," said Hermione. "It's not so strange that he's still alive." As she said this she looked pointedly at David. David inclined his head towards Hermione answering her silent question. "None of us ever believed he was guilty," she said.

"Except Percy," put in Ron, "but he believes anything Fudge says, so go figure."

"The idea that he was insane made more sense," agreed Ginny, "but it is so easy to fake with potions."

"I assure you that he wasn't insane," said David. "He was drugged with dementialis. He faked his death earlier this year and has been hiding since then."

"And now he's ready to reveal himself?" asked Hermione.

"Not publicly," said David, "but to his friends, yes, he is willing to reveal himself. He has not done so before because he was led to believe that the headmaster had fixed his trial and did not want him to find out. As students at Hogwarts you were too close to Albus. However things came to a head with Voldemort's rebirth and he reached an understanding with Albus. Albus has even offered to let him return to Hogwarts."

"And will you?" asked Hermione. Ron choked again causing his girl-friend to summon his drink away from him. "Ron! Use your brain for once. Can't you recognise your best friend?"

"Harry?" asked Ron.

"Yes, but I go by 'David' now. It turns out that I'm not biologically a Potter. James and Lily were my godparents and they adopted me within an hour of my birth."

"So you're Harry, and you're the Crimson Lord?"

"Don't forget he's Mum's cousin and also Mum and Dad adopted him," put in Ginny.

"You knew about the adoption?" asked David surprised.

"Yeah, I overheard them talking when they thought I was out of the house," said Ginny not at all sheepishly. "And I'd also seen the clock and seen your hand on it."

"The Ministry obliviated you all when they registered it," explained David. "But they did not know about the clock so your parents managed to work out what had happened. I imagine you'd all like an explanation of what's happened since we took the train home after my fourth year?"

David explained the events of the last two and a half years. He glossed over exactly what had happened between him and Albus's impostor and the details of life in Azkaban. Neither did he mention shadow dragons or his Professor David identity.

"Don't you find it a bit odd being engaged to Professor Lupin?" asked Hermione. "I know the age gap doesn't mean much to wizards but you were raised in the muggle world. I imagine it is the sort of thing your relatives would have frowned upon."

"They 'frowned' on everything I did," said David. "One more thing won't matter, besides after all the 'time' I spent with the dead I feel closer to his age than yours. Physically I'm seventeen but mentally I've lived a lot longer."

"But he was still your teacher. It just seems wrong."

"Hermione, do you know how soul-bonds work?"

"That's all romantic rubbish," said Hermione dismissively. "Professor Binns has told us about them in History of Magic. As far as I can see they were just a way for middle aged wizards to get a gullible but attractive young spouse."

Ron looked helplessly at David. "I've tried explaining how things are mate, but she won't listen. When she first found out you were our age and engaged to Lupin she threw a fit."

"Hermione," said David earnestly. "Please reserve judgement until you've looked through a few books on the subject. Once you've looked up the symptoms I wouldn't be surprised if you found you had a soul-mate out there yourself."

"Let's just hope 'Mione's soul-mate is nearer her age," said Ginny winking a Ron when Hermione was not looking.

The next day David and Remus returned to Lions' Den for the rest of the holiday. That afternoon David spent nearly an hour that afternoon dismantling the enchantments around his father's dark mark and healing his flesh. Once he was done he slept the clock round. He woke up to find that he missed sharing a bed. He was still using the bedroom the house elves had set up for him when he first moved into the house; he had requested something simple. It was quite small and when he became the ruling zia Simba and Leon had prepared the master suite for him but he had declined to move. After growning up in a cupboard, followed by a room full of junk with bars on the windows, a school dormitory and finally a prison cell, David felt out of place in his current luxury and did not feel he could cope with the anything more. His current room, however, was definitely not big enough for two.

David walked through the house and looked in on the suite tradition allocated him. He had only given it a cursory glance when he had explored before. He now decided it was not so bad and he really should not put off moving in any longer. The ensuite bathroom clinched the deal. It would appear one of his ancestors had been taken with the prefects bathroom at Hogwarts. Aside from the portrait of a mermaid the room was almost identical. Later that day having moved his things, David cautiously invited Remus to move in to his new room too if he wanted. Remus immediately agreed and placed a mental tick on his mental chart of David's progress towards a more intimate relationship. It was harder to judge what David was feeling since his efforts to occlude his mind from Voldemort were dampening Remus's link too, but so far he had not miss judged how comfortable David was with a situation. His discovery of the bathroom gave him several ideas for David's continuing education, particularly since he believed David did not know how to swim and could require some tuition.

Sirius visited the next day. He showed David an article in the Daily Prophet. 'Harry Potter Alive and on the Run' proclaimed the headline. The article attributed the information to a 'concerned ministry source.' It claimed that Potter had been seen on Christmas day trying to organise the Death Eaters and bring back his master. Witnesses had reported that he had murdered Severus Snape and aurors who had examined the scene confirmed that the ashes were the remains of the Hogwarts professor. Potter's current whereabouts was unknown, but aurors were being drafted into the search. The public were being warned to not to approach or try to reason with Potter since he was insane. The article went on to imply that there had been a cover-up by the Ministry of Potter's escape from St Mungo's and linked him with several other unsolved crimes in the months since his supposed death.

"Voldemort knows I'm still alive then. He's trying to get help tracking me down," said David. "Well it was worth a try. Faking your own death is harder than someone else's, I'm pretty sure he thinks that Father's dead. Good thing Albus is now on my side. At least I don't need these strong occlumency walls now. I'll be able to feel my bonds again."

Sirius incinerated the paper and they spent most of the morning going through the Christmas presents he had received and making notes for what to send to those people the next year. He also helped David draft seemingly meaningful thank you letters before they tried to work out what to do with most of the junk. David settled on transfiguring things slightly to make them unrecognisable and then donating them to various charities.

David was at a loss as to what to do with his gift from the Malfoys. It appeared that they were eager to remind him of the family relationship since they had sent him a portrait of the three of them. Each pictorial representation spouted platitudes at him. David was particularly worried that the images could move to portraits in Malfoy Mansion and would be used to spy on him. Luckily Sirius had opened the gift and so David had had time to morph his appearance before coming into view. David was unsure whether to keep it and try to use it to feed the Malfoys false information, or if he should just destroy it and have done. Eventually he decided that their voices were getting on his nerves and he settled for locking away the animation as he had with Mrs Black. He considered warning the images to flee to their other portraits first so that they did not get completely deactivated, but decided that if the painting had been sent for the purposes of spying then the family got their just deserts if their whole network was destroyed. He put the static picture to the side to be dealt with at a later date; he could always use it for target practice if he decided to take up knife throwing.

That afternoon Albus firecalled about the article in the paper. David invited him to step through and they discussed the need for security to keep Harry's new identity secret.

"Could we use the fidelius charm?" asked Sirius. "I know you said it wouldn't work when I was in hiding because too many people had to either forget me or at least what I looked like, but I think only ten people know who David actually is, and they only have to forget the connection, not what Harry looked like."

"It's a possibility," agreed Albus turning to David. "But given your past experience with the charm I wouldn't push you into it."

"I'd prefer it to asking everyone to take secrecy vows," said David bluntly. "The question is who to have as secret keeper. As far as I can see, everyone in the know except Tonks is too connected to Harry to be a safe bet. At the same time I'm not keen to ask someone I don't know so well."

All five of them thought for a while. Severus pointed out that he was connected to David not Harry but agreed in the end that since they had lifted the separation that kept David off the family tree charts his connection to Severus was available for all to see, and the Crimson Lord would be a likely suspect for Harry's cover identity. Albus mentioned several members of the Order, but apart from Moody and Arabella Figg, David had not even met them and Severus's opinion of them all was quite low given how they had treated him with suspicion since he was marked.

"Everyone always underestimates house elves," mused Remus at length. "Charms aren't my forte, but you suggested Arabella who's a squib; could a house elf be a secret keeper?"

"The charm is not performed by the secret keeper," noted David. "As far as I understand it the secret keeper simply has to be willing and not coerced into doing so. Albus, as a secret keeper do you know the exact requirements?"

"There have been cases where muggles have been secret keepers," said Albus. "The problem is that they were able to tell the secret to other muggles, it just got forgotten or misheard by anyone magical. It's possible that a house elf would be able to pass it on to other house elves, however theoretically, if having become the secret keeper the house elf was ordered by his master not to reveal the secret a house elf would make the perfect secret keeper. The only problem is that he would have to want to take the role on without pressure from his master to do so or the charm would fail."

"I don't like the idea of trusting a house elf," said Sirius. "Remember when we found Kreacher had gone to visit my cousin and told her all about what he'd seen and heard at headquarters? He showed that even if an elf is bound to a family he can choose which family member to serve at any given time."

"Perhaps we should ask Simba and Leon for their opinions," said David. "I think they are bound to the zia house rather than the actual family, which is why they obey me overall rather than my father. That would mean that the only people that could order them to reveal the secret are in this room, and even that can't happen if I specifically forbid it. I'm guessing that Sirius didn't specifically forbid Kreacher visiting other members of the family?"

Molly had arranged for the engagement to be celebrated as part of a New Year party at the Burrow. They would invite their colleagues and friends for the evening and midnight toast and then those who knew David's identity would meet up at Lions' Den for breakfast. All the Weasleys except Percy were to be included in this. Molly was a bit upset, but understood that after Percy's loose tongue had nearly cost David and Severus their lives they would be unwilling to give him any more information to be careless with. The Weasleys and Hermione would be joined by Severus, Sirius and Tonks. At the time of the party all except the residents of Lions' Den, Sirius and Albus had forgotten, due to the fidelius charm, the Harry Potter part of the equation. They would be reminded of that connection over breakfast by Simba.

The party went well for the most part. Many of the Hogwarts staff put in an appearance at some point during the evening. Severus was there as David's father and had his first chance to try out the real Severus behaviour. Tonks and David worked things out between them so that Professor David could be seen with fiancé David a few times during the evening. There were several moments when Remus was unsure which metamorphmagus he was talking to. Unlike David, Tonks had discovered her talent as a child and had used it to imitate other people for fun. She did not usually go for the whole body but the knack to capture the features and mannerisms was the same.

"It was Tonks who kissed me all those times today wasn't it?" Remus asked David when they had returned home. He knew Tonks had had a crush on him when she first started working with him for the Order. There had been a few embarrassing moments before Sirius had taken his cousin aside and explained that his friend was not interested. Of course Sirius had tried to help her get Remus interested first and Remus had had to have words with him.

"Mostly yes," agreed David. "She was keen to get into the role! Probably best not to mention it to Charlie. But over midnight it was me. I couldn't give her that one."

"Since I wasn't sure if it was you at the time…" said Remus pulling David towards him. "I think a repeat performance is in order."

"Agh, take it upstairs you two," called Severus as he came out the fire behind them, but while David's back was turned he gave Remus an approving nod. He too had been worried about how to reintegrate David into society and help him overcome his phobias and Remus was obviously doing a good job.

January 3rd saw the Order meeting once more in their headquarters as provided by Sirius Black. Albus had cautiously left a gap between hearing about Voldemort's return and calling the Order together. He suspected that they had a more efficient spy that Percy Weasley to worry about since the plot against Harry probably had inside help somewhere along the line. Albus was well aware of the opportunity for damage someone would have by impersonating him and was careful not to provide access to the necessary personal ingredient for polyjuice potion. Someone close to him would have had to acquire it, and on several different occasions.

It had been decided that Professor David would be introduced to the Order as a whole. He would provide additional evidence of Severus Snape's death from access to a family tapestry. Severus's mother had been a pureblood and so he was related distantly to the other pureblood families. His own measures had ensured that his record would contain a death date, which David would reveal. The impression would be given that David had proved himself useful over the attempts at murdering Hermione Granger and so was being invited to assist the order. He would not be a full member – since as a ruling zia he one of the things he could not do was to give allegiance to another body; he would say that he was sympathetic to their aims, but unwilling to give his trust blindly to a secret group. Severus was not going to rejoin the Order under his new identity at this stage. When his potion skills were required he would be contacted through one of the people who knew him.

David's initial greeting at the meeting was frosty, but after Tonks informed everyone that they had him to thank for the lack of shouting from Mrs Black's portrait as well as a successful outcome to Sirius's trial, the rest of the group warmed to him. They could see that he was powerfully magical, even if he had turned looking like a muggle. During the meeting Albus gave his opinion that Severus's abduction and death most likely signified that Voldemort had returned. The question of Potter was raised and Albus repeated that he had seen him buried himself and it was most likely a ruse to distract the aurors from searching for the Death Eaters. There was little shock in his listeners but a lot of grim determination that this would be the last time he rose. Assignments for information gathering were handed out and then most of the Order left. David was one of the people who were asked to remain behind.

This select group were the inner circle of the Order whose loyalty was above reproach; it included Alastor Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Sirius Black as well as two witches David did not know. To this select few Albus revealed that he had positive information as to Voldemort's return, that Potter was helping the Order and had indeed been there but that there was evidence that there was a spy within the wider Order so his continued existence was not to be publicised. It had been decided not to reveal that Severus had survived since his fondest wish was to be able to put his past behind him and he had sacrificed a lot already for the Order.

Albus recounted the events of Christmas morning, from Harry's point of view. Next they discussed the strong likelihood of a spy within the Order, given that Albus had been impersonated several times. Several names were mentioned as possible suspects, including to David and Sirius's anger, Remus Lupin. It appeared that prejudices against werewolves ran deep even within the supposedly enlightened Order. Both were relieved that Albus insisted that Remus had his full confidence.

For the next topic of discussion Albus yielded the floor to David. He explained that he was a shadow dragon. Not all of the group knew what this meant and there followed a brief description of the elite force who were effectively free agents under a vow of serving the community. David detailed Albus's suspicions that after the death of David Dragon who ran the force the shadow dragons had been rounded up, probably by a faction within the Ministry. He revealed that Dragon had probably been poisoned, but his agents were likely to be still alive. There were also at least a few agents who had avoided capture.

"I was trained personally by David Dragon," said David, "and part of that training included all the codes he used to contact the agents. I could attempt to contact the shadow dragons who have remained in hiding, I do not know if they would respond, but I can try. I hope that they will do so since they would be valuable allies. I also wish to try to locate those who went missing."

"As I understand," said Alastor, "most if not all of the shadow dragons were metamorphmagi, put together with the rest of the training they had they be extremely useful." There was general agreement with this opinion.

"Could the missing agents be dark prisoners?" asked Sirius. "There was a particular few months while I was in Azkaban when the rumours had it that a large number of 'darks' had been brought in. I can't be certain that it was in 1989 but it was certainly nearer the end than the beginning of my incarceration."

"You believe they could be in Azkaban?" asked David. "Surely that would mean that someone would know of their presence. Perhaps I should pay a visit to Old Man Rufus."

"Rufus is a myth! Dark prisoners don't exist!" snorted one of the witches. "I don't know why we're even discussing this. Surely we have better things to talk about Albus?"

"I believe dark prisoners do exist," said Albus gravely. "David was a dark prisoner."

"I was? I take it that means more than just that the general public did not know of my imprisonment? I don't exactly know what the name implies."

"David, what happened to you in Azkaban was not normal for an inmate," said Sirius gently. "All I had to contend with were the dementors and the insane ramblings of the other inmates. Not the other things…"

"Thank Merlin!" said David to the great surprise of his companions. He noticed their bewilderment and explained. "I thought Sirius had had twelve years of what I'd had. Eighteen months was bad enough."

"So if you were a dark prisoner," said Alastor thoughtfully, "then can you say one way or the other whether there were others, particularly the people we're looking for?"

"No, I saw no other prisoners in my entire time there," said David positively. "But I do believe I can track down Old Man Rufus to find out. I had thought he was just doing his job, but from what you've said…"

"The Ministry has repeatedly denied that either dark prisoners or Rufus exist," confirmed the witch who had spoken earlier. "If we were able to prove otherwise it could bring down the government. No bad thing in my opinion."

"I'll look up Rufus," promised David. "It may take me a while to arrange an excuse to go to Azkaban but I'll get on it. Actually I think I know someone better to go there; he'll be able to find the hidden passages, assuming there are some. I'll look into it."

"Very well," said Albus, "that seems the best course of action for the present. If you want a witness to accompany you, and ensure your return, I would be willing to assist."

"Thank you."

"Now on to our final topic for this evening," said Albus. "David's mission, for which he has been preparing for years, is to destroy Voldemort. It was through him that the three horcruxes were recovered in November. And he knows more about them then the rest of us."

"I have been trying to locate the horcruxes myself for a while," said David. "I can tell you that there are seven fragments in total. There were the three destroyed in November, the one Albus found earlier last year and the one in Riddle's diary. This leaves one in Slytherin's locket, one in Voldemort's snake, Nagini, and the final soul fragment in Voldemort's new body."

"What information do you have, and how reliable is the source?" asked Alastor suspiciously.

"My information comes from a former Death Eater, now deceased, who once he realised what Voldemort's methods were attempted to join you but his sincerity was doubted. Seeing no other option he decided to combat Voldemort by himself. He managed to locate and steal four horcruxes as well as discover that there were intended to be seven pieces in total. I have managed to confirm that Voldemort's soul was indeed split into seven."

"You haven't spoken much as to his reliability," said Alastor gruffly. "That he was a Death Eater is not a good recommendation."

"I cannot tell you how I know that he was sincere, but suffice to say he would not have been able to contact me the way he did had he been a true supporter of Voldemort."

"It's not enough that you believe it," said Alastor, "better wizards than you have been deceived."

"True," said David, "but I am certain of my information, and if we manage to locate the horcruxes it'll be proved right."

"Did you meet this wizard during your apprenticeship?" asked Albus obliquely.

"Yes," said David. "As I said, he couldn't have contacted me then if he had not intended to help."

"I don't…" began Alastor.

"I can't claim to be an infallible," said Albus, "but I believe David's source is sound. The missing locket appears to have been at one point in the possession of Mundungus Fletcher. I have been trying to quietly track him down since November and have not been successful. Nagini will be with Voldemort so there is no point going after them until we have the locket."

"Fletcher!" growled Alastor, his good eye glinting dangerously. Moody was going to track the thief down. He had wanted to arrest him for one of his many crimes for years. The meeting broke up.

"David, I never told you about my younger brother Regulus did I?" said Sirius once they were alone. "He got in over his head with the Death Eaters and then got himself killed when he tried to desert them. He had access to this house."

"You think he might be my informant? It's possible."


	30. Unexpected Culprit

Unexpected Culprit 

Term began again all too soon. David and Remus returned to Hogwarts and the need to pretend to be simply friends. It was a comforting thought that Albus was now aware of the true nature of the situation. They expected he would be helpful in quashing any rumours.

With Severus's disappearance David was taking his potions classes while Remus was covering all the DADA ones. David was late in arriving to his seventh year class on the second Monday of term and as he approached he heard the class discussing his relationship with Remus. "They seem to be awfully close to each other for friends," Padma Patil was saying. "And Lupin's fiancé seemed so nice. I feel really sorry for how he's being deceived. Do you think it might put him off men?" she added hopefully. David paused outside the door and then decided to teach his students not to gossip about him by sneaking invisible into the class.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they were sharing a bed," said Draco Malfoy as David crept unnoticed to his desk. "All the professors are at it, you know even that weedy muggle studies professor ends up in Trelawney's rooms more often than natural. Doesn't leave 'till morning either. But as for Lupin, I think his fiancé knows all about it."

David paused at the front of the class, about to turn himself visible again. How did Malfoy come across that piece of information? What did he think he knew about Remus and David? David remembered the missing map, he had not given it much thought since he could not ask Minerva why she had not given it to Ron without raising her suspicions about how he knew the contents of Harry Potter's will. When the events leading up to his trial had been proved to be a plot of Voldemort's he had not thought about the fate of the map, but now it was obvious that Peter Pettigrew had recognised it among his things and kept it. Voldemort would have been pleased to obtain it which might mitigate Pettigrew's punishment had his hints to Harry that it had not been Albus been discovered. If Pettigrew had had the map, it was entirely possible that Malfoy now had it; or a copy at least. David reappeared to the shock of his students. He would ask Malfoy to stay behind and question him about his knowledge of his teacher's private lives.

David gave his students a stern lecture about wasting time which they could have spent getting their equipment out and preparing for the lesson. He told them that they were of age and should not need to be supervised to use their time productively and threatened to make them spend their free periods with a teacher if they did not improve. He then moved on to the topic of their conversation and asked Malfoy to stay behind after the lesson, before finally starting the class and commenting that those who were taking DADA should have noticed him before he made it to the front desk.

"Mr Malfoy, you seem to be very well informed as to the private lives of your teachers," said David when the rest of the class had been dismissed. "May I ask how you came about this knowledge?"

"I was simply repeating the rumours which are circulating."

David looked at him sternly. "Try again," he said coldly.

"It's the truth sir," Malfoy protested politely.

"That's the second time you've lied to me in the same minute," David informed him. "Ten points from Slytherin for each falsehood. Now shall we try for third time lucky?" Malfoy said nothing. "Very well, turn out your pockets and your bag onto the desk," ordered David.

"You can't search a student, sir," protested Malfoy, but he still kept his tone polite.

David was encouraged by his unwillingness to obey. Malfoy was hiding something, he just hoped that if it was not the map he would recognise what it was. "I am your acting housemaster. If I believe you to have possession of stolen goods I can; I can even take you to Madam Pomfrey and demand an intimate search of your bodily orifices if I suspect illicit goods to be concealed there in. Do you want me to suspect that?"

Malfoy's pale face had gone paler and the suggestion of such an indignity. "No sir," he said, this time with barely concealed anger as he emptied his bag and pockets onto the desk. David glanced over the items on his desk and hovered his hand across them as if deciding which on to pick up; in fact he was sensing the magical fields they generated. He did not find the parchment he was looking for but noticed that after doing as he was told, Malfoy had placed his bag out of sight.

"Put the bag on the desk too," David ordered. Malfoy obeyed slowly. David ran his hands over the bag and along its seams. "Ah ha," he said triumphantly as he found the hidden pocket and drew out an old piece of parchment. "Care to explain why you are carrying such a tatty piece of parchment around in such a careful manner?" he asked.

"I will explain to the headmaster sir, but only to him," said Malfoy defiantly.

"Very well," said David. "I'll hang on to this, and I'll arrange a meeting with Professor Dumbledore. I believe the rightful owner of this parchment will be glad to get it back." Malfoy looked about to protest but thought better of it and with David's permission packed up his belongings and left for his next class.

"I don't care what Albus says I don't trust him," David told Remus two days later when he had returned after the moon. "Malfoy had the map; he'd been using the map. It would have been really helpful in all the attacks on Hermione. Albus said Malfoy stole it from his father to keep Hogwarts safe, but if he did so why didn't he give it to a teacher? Albus thinks Malfoy's reformed. Severus thinks Malfoy's reformed. Everyone bloody thinks so, but he's still the unprincipled Death Eater in waiting I remember. Nobody else sees it."

Remus let David rant. He had seen the change in the Malfoy heir since his previous time at Hogwarts and had been pleased that he had not decided to blindly follow in his father's footsteps. He did not have to stand up for his werewolf teacher but he had. David had too much history with the boy to see things dispassionately.

"At least Albus's now got the map," said Remus. "And Malfoy's been told that you're your own father and my fiancé's been staying over some evenings so he shouldn't make any more suggestive comments. The map's no longer a threat so let it go." He changed the subject. "How's the planning for the trip to Azkaban coming?"

"It's done," David admitted holding his head in his hands. "I'm procrastinating because I don't want to go back there. I'm afraid I'll not be able to leave. I'm a wimp I know; I've faced dragons I can face this, I've just got to get up the courage to do so."

Remus decided that sympathy was not what David needed. He needed to face this fear quickly or it would only increase. He suspected that David had been having nightmares about it while Remus had been away. "Yes you're a wimp," he said forcefully. "I face my worst nightmare every month. I have done for years and will do for the rest of my life. You've only got to do this once, so stop feeling sorry for yourself and get on with it." He saw David wilt under his criticism and put his arms around him. "Don't worry, I love you. Albus is going with you and the two of you are among the most powerful magic users in the country. Rufus won't know what hit him. You'll return 'cos there's no chance I'm giving up our bathroom to live with you in a prison cell. But you need to do this soon or it'll eat at you."

At breakfast on Friday David was slightly perturbed by the disturbance at the Gryffindor table in the region of Ron and Hermione following the arrival of the post owls. His eye tended to fall on the pair a bit more than was natural for someone who was not supposed to know them, but he hoped that nobody noticed. He couldn't really help himself, which was why he was probably the only member of staff to get some warning of the trouble ahead.

David noticed that Ron was preoccupied at lunch. He barely ate anything which was extremely out of character and he had heard Hermione trying to get him to go to the nurse because he had been out of it all day. Luckily David had the seventh years for DADA in the period directly after lunch. He had a chance to get to the bottom of this himself, since Hermione did not seem any different he had a horrible feeling he knew what the letter had been about. David hoped he was wrong.

"Mr Weasley," David's voice cut icily through the room when he had failed to contribute anything to their discussion on vampire hierarchies and was simply sitting gazing blankly in front of him. "You appear to be having trouble concentrating on this lesson. Is the subject boring you or do you have something on your mind?"

"I'm a bit preoccupied sir," mumbled Ron.

"What is causing you trouble?"

"I'd rather not say sir."

"Nonsense," said David briskly, "There's not much point in you being here if you can't follow the lesson. It's a waste of your time and a waste of ours since you have no constructive contribution to make. If you're having problems it is quite likely that another student in the class is also, so out with it."

"It's personal," said Ron. David was impressed although he did not show it. The Ron he knew would have said something more along the lines of "It's none of your bloody business."

"Very well," said David. "You will tell me after class. If you are prepared to concentrate you may stay, if not please leave and I will give you a detention for you to catch up in."

Ron made no move to leave. "Excellent choice, I expect you agree that detentions are a bit beneath seventh year students." David led the class back to the topic of vampires and was pleased to note that Ron made an effort to participate although it helped that Hermione kept prodding him when he started to drift.

"Alright Mr Weasley, what's up?" asked David perching casually on the front of his desk as Ron fidgeted nervously in front of him.

"Please sir, it's personal," protested the boy.

"Your personal problem became my business when it disrupted your learning in my class," explained David answering the unspoken protest. "The amount of points I will deduct for your behaviour hinges on how hard it is for me to draw the problem out of you. I will not deduct points for the nature of the problem so long as you are honest with me. I believe your problems started at breakfast, with the arrival of a letter?"

"The letter I got was from my brother Charlie about a new dragon they had at the reservation. It has nothing to do with my lapse in concentration."

Despite Ron's protests David could tell that he was getting near the heart of the matter. "May I glance over it?" he asked.

Ron dug the note out of his pocket and handed it over. "It's pretty boring sir, just Charlie talking about a welsh green with a bad attitude."

David glanced at the note, on the surface Ron was telling the truth, but his instinct said that there was more to it. David raised his anti-surveillance wards. "I have made it so that it appears I am giving you a lecture about your behaviour," he told Ron. "I think what you read in this letter is different to what I read in it. Am I correct in thinking that the real message is a threat of some kind?"

"Yes, but the sender says that he will know if I tell anyone."

"Even with my wards?"

"I daren't take that risk sir."

"I assure you that nobody can tell what we are saying in any way, even the headmaster can't get through my wards, and I can help you forget this conversation for a few hours."

"They're going to kill Hermione this evening," said Ron in a rush. "If I don't deliver her to them or tell anyone then they're going to kill my sister and my mother instead."

"Actually this is good news," David assured him. "All we need to do now is have someone disguise himself as Miss Granger, someone who is well able to defend himself, and we can catch the culprits. So far they haven't done anything for us to prove who they are. As I said, I can lock away your memory for a while so that they can't tell that you've said anything. It's not the same as an oblivate; you get your memory back later. With your permission I could do that and leave you with a sense that all will work out well so that you carry on regardless. However first you need to tell me exactly what you've been told to do."

As soon as Ron had left David sent a message to the headmaster, through the castle since nobody else could hear her. He said that Hermione was going to be targeted after class and he asked Albus to find a pretext to talk to him before the end of classes, so that it would seem that the contact had been initiated from Albus's direction. A serious looking Auror Hart turned up half way through David's next class with Tonks in tow. They asked David to accompany them to the Ministry to help with their investigation into some complaints they had received that he had harassed and assaulted some of the Gringotts goblins the previous day. David went with them, loudly protesting that he had been teaching a class at the specified time and that there were over a dozen students who could vouch for him. As they escorted him away he called out to his class to go to the library and work on their research projects.

Once they were in the privacy of Albus's office the headmaster, David and the two aurors discussed David's information on the new attempt against Hermione. David was going to propose that he substitute for Hermione, but Tonks beat him to it with a look that told him not to interfere. He supposed she did not want him to reveal that he was a metamorphmagus. Polyjuice was out of the question because they did not know how long it would take for the culprits to say or do something which would demonstrate that they had been behind the previous attacks as well.

As he walked into supper that evening David casually approached the Gryffindor table and said, "Ah, Miss Granger, Mr Weasley, it seems someone thought it would be fun to let a few Cornish pixies into my office. I understand that the two of you have some experience with recapturing the creatures, would you lend me a hand after you've eaten?" Ron looked a bit worried, but Hermione was not one to refuse to aide a teacher and immediately agreed for the both of them.

When they reached the DADA office Tonks and Hart, rather than pixies, were waiting for them. David gave Ron access to his memory back and they explained what was going on to Hermione. Then Tonks put the finishing touches to her impersonation, she had already approximated Hermione's build and was dressed in a spare uniform of hers which she had had a house elf retrieve. Hermione and Tonks performed a linking spell which would enable them to communicate telepathically for about twenty minutes, depending on distance, so that Tonks could appear to have Hermione's knowledge if challenged. Ron asked to have his memory hidden again, and once they left the office David did so. Ron led 'Hermione' to her fate with the optimistic assumption that all would be well and the belief that he had just been fighting with pixies, although this time without the 'peskipiksi pesternomi' spell. David followed under an invisibility charm.

Ron and 'Hermione' left the castle and made their way to the Whomping Willow. Ron pressed the knot with a long stick to still the branches and they entered the tunnel it guarded. David made it inside just as the tree began to unfreeze. They were nearly at the shrieking shack when Ron said something about having dropped his prefect badge somewhere in the tunnel and sent 'Hermione' on ahead while he returned to look for it. David followed Tonks into the shack, which was empty. Tonks sat on the bed to wait. David stood in a corner. Neither spoke in case they were being observed.

After a few minutes the sound of footsteps was heard and Malfoy entered followed by Crabbe and Goyle who each had tight hold of one of Ron's arms and were half dragging him along.

"What's going on?" demanded Tonks as she leapt to her feet, wand drawn.

"Give me your wand mudblood!" spat Malfoy cursing Ron so that he started to suffocate. "You're boyfriend gets no air until you do." Ron had managed to tear his arms away from Crabbe and Goyle. He had fallen to his knees and was clawing at his throat trying to remove the phantom hands which were strangling him.

Tonks glared at him and glanced towards Ron before throwing her wand towards him. Malfoy released the spell and Ron gasped for breath. "What do you want Malfoy?" demanded Tonks.

"You couldn't bloody well die the first time could you," snarled Malfoy. "You've made me get personally involved so now your precious boyfriend's going to get it too. If you'd not been so stubborn he would have lived." His tone became mocking. "Now I think we're going to have a crime of passion. Everyone knows how up tight you are, and Ronnikins here being the pureblooded male that he his wanted so much more from your relationship. He pushed you, he raped you; you fought back and killed him. Overcome with remorse you killed yourself. You're the expert on logic – that sound plausible to you, Granger?"

"Nobody would believe that of Ron!" snorted Tonks. "They'll smell a rat a mile off."

"Oh but they will," said Malfoy sweetly, "when the aurors go through your possessions after your deaths they will find the journal dear sweet Ronnikins kept in which he detailed all his sexual frustrations and exactly what he intended to do about them. I wouldn't be surprised if Weasley senior looses his job from the scandal. Having his plump mother die of shame would be a bonus," he mused.

Ron was still kneeling on the floor, but he had now got his breath back. "You sick, twisted, perverted…"

"Now, now Ronnikins," said Malfoy as if he was a naughty toddler, "I'm the one in charge. The depths of the scandal will depend on the positions you are found in. Your own deaths are unavoidable, but if you cooperate I might be persuaded to lessen the impact on your relations. After all you did agree to lure your mudblood girlfriend here in order to save them. Be a pity not to do so."

Ron looked desperately at 'Hermione.' "It's okay Ron," she said. "We're not dead yet, we'll get out of this we always do. You can apologise properly later."

"Touching sentiment," mocked Malfoy. "She must really love you Weasel, but as I recall it was always Potter who saved your arses. He's not here to help you now."

"Why are you doing this," asked Tonks. "What did I ever do to you?"

"Do you realise how my father reacted when he found out year after year that I had been beaten in the exams by a mudblood? Do you understand the shame you caused my family? None of the teachers would believe that you cheated. They said I was jealous, ha, the heir of the Malfoy family jealous of a mudblood! But had that been all I would have allowed you to live…"

"How kind!" snorted Tonks.

Malfoy continued as if there had been no interruption. "… but then my mother heard a prophesy about how you would destroy the Dark Lord once and for all. And if he was destroyed by a mudblood our society would crumble. The Ministry would give in to your every demand. I know all about spew, we'd end up as slaves to our house elves and blood purity would no longer count for anything. I bet you'd put an end to the restrictions on werewolves too, since you're so fond of our hairy shouted professor." Malfoy warmed to his subject and continued to rant for some time while his goons looked on menacingly and occasionally cracked their knuckles threateningly.

David stood in the corner quietly taking in all that was going on. Tonks had insisted that he waited for her signal to intervene, unless someone was in immediate danger, so he could not interfere. He smiled slightly as Malfoy defended his plans. His instincts had been right; Malfoy had not reformed. It appeared it had all been a ruse to place a spy within Dumbledore's ranks when he graduated. Voldemort was obviously planning a long term campaign. He watched as Malfoy produced a phial of potion from his pocket and pulled out one of Ron's hairs to add to it. He drank it down.

"I'm going to enjoy this," commented Malfoy as he started to transform into Ron and grabbed hold of Tonks. "I wonder if you'll scream as much as your friend did when I took his virginity. Of course the Dark Lord had me drug Potter first to make him more amenable, but with you I'll get the full experience."

David froze in shock as the implications of Malfoy's statement sank in. He had never considered that it could have been him who had impersonated Albus. Rage quickly over took him and waiting for Tonks's signal no longer seemed important. He sent wandless stunners at Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy swung around still holding Tonks as he heard his goons thud to the floor. David pulled Malfoy away from her and then removed his invisibility spell so that Malfoy could see him.

"Do you have any notion of the suffering you've caused," he growled. "See what it feels like to believe that you're mentor raped you." He changed his grip so that his hands were clamped on the top of Malfoy's head and pushed into him the feelings of pain, betrayal and worthlessness that he had experienced. All the emotions from several years were concentrated into a few seconds and Malfoy's eyes immediately rolled up in his head and he slumped to the ground as soon as Tonks pulled David's hands off him.

"David, I'm so sorry," said Tonks as she wrapped her arms around his shaking form. The emotions caught up with him and he began to cry into her shoulder. Tonks looked over him towards Ron, who had retrieved the wands from the Slytherins and was watching them warily wondering why his girlfriend was hugging his teacher. "Wotcher Ron, can I have my wand?" Tonks asked morphing her face into a classically Tonks appearance. He handed it to her. She kept David pressed against her with one arm while she conjured ropes to bind their attackers with the other. "Go back to the castle. You'll find Hermione and Auror Hart in the DADA office, possibly with the headmaster. Ask them to come down; if you can find Professor Lupin too bring him here as well."

Once Ron had departed Tonks cautiously asked David, "What exactly did you do to the git?"


	31. Whirlwind of Events

Whirlwind of Events 

In the aftermath of the events in the shrieking shack rumours about what had happened quickly flew through the school. Ron had been seen hurrying through the castle with purple bruises around his neck. Later, glimpses of Ron, his neck healed, and two seventh year Slytherins were seen as they were escorted by two aurors through the castle to the headmaster's office. Hermione was observed going towards the headmaster's office, and when neither she, Ron the two Slytherins or Draco Malfoy were seen over the weekend the ideas about what had happened to them became more and more far fetched.

The additional absence of both DADA teachers was not initially commented on, since neither of them were usually in the castle over the weekends, but when a first year was overheard to say that on Friday evening she had heard Ron Weasley give Professor Lupin a message from Auror Tonks that Professor David was in the shrieking shack and he had immediately left not to return, the general consensus was that either Professor David or Draco Malfoy or both had been murdered. Opinion was divided as to whether the Ron and the Slytherins were responsible, according to the Gryffindors Ron had been framed, and according to the Slytherins he had framed Crabbe and Goyle. The Ravenclaws talked about polyjuice, noting the bruised and unbruised Rons who had been seen, but the rest of the school ignored them.

Rumours were circulating furiously at the Ministry as well. Three Hogwarts students were being questioned by aurors concerning attempted murder. There were rumours about rapes as well. Percy Weasley had been seen looking shaken and being fed sweet tea by one of his colleagues giving rise to the idea that his younger brother or sister were among the detainees. The panic alarm for the Minister's residence had sounded and Lucius Malfoy had been brought in, protesting loudly, by the aurors who responded.

While his colleagues collated evidence and tried to locate Narcissa Malfoy, Kingsley Shacklebolt went to Grimmauld Place and was introduced to Harry Potter from whom he took an unofficial statement about the events of the summer of 1995 to help with the interrogation of Draco Malfoy.

At breakfast on Monday Ron, Hermione, Remus and David reappeared at Hogwarts. Nobody involved would discuss the events of Friday evening, but the morning's Daily Prophet contained the information that three Hogwarts students had been detained by aurors 'on suspicion of serious crimes.' The arrest of Lucius Malfoy and the hunt for his wife were also mentioned and a connection was suggested.

After seeing the paper the headmaster made an announcement to the effect that Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle were the students in question. He reminded the school gravely of the need to presume innocence until guilt was proven and asked informed them that some aurors would be present at lunch time to explain the situation and ask anyone with relevant information to come forward. He ended on a happier note by announcing that the new potions master would be arriving that evening, and if the sorting hat decided he was a Slytherin he would take over the housemaster duties too.

"He was recommended to me by a member of staff," said the headmaster, "and his qualifications are excellent. Once I heard that his first name was Severus I knew he was just who I was looking for!" The school as a whole seemed unsure how to greet this recommendation. Some looked shocked and horrified at such an arbitrary reason, while others recognised it as simply part of the headmaster's sense of humour and general eccentric nature and smiled indulgently.

David's students that day were a bit depressed and asked him several times if he could not remain as their teacher. The older ones pointed out that Professor Lupin had taught by himself when he had been their teacher four years before so he did not really need to teach DADA. David was touched that they liked him, but did recall that in comparison to the persona his father had used almost anyone would be better liked. He assured his classes that their new professor was better qualified than he was to teach potions, and even admitted that he had been teaching them several potions that he had never made before. None of them seemed to believe this even when he explained that he knew a lot of the theory behind potion making but had not much practical experience. He told them that Professor Antirrhinum was well known to him and eminently suited to the job.

His sixth year class recognised the name as being the same as one of the visitors over the Yule exchange and David confirmed that the new professor was David Antirrhinum's father. This seemed to put their minds at rest since they could not imagine that the friendly young man's father would be anything like Professor Snape. David heard several comments to that effect and had great difficulty not to smile.

After supper the staff gathered to induct their newest colleague. Since it could not be admitted that Severus had been a Hogwarts student when many of his colleagues would have had to have taught him, he had to be sorted again.

"You're up to something!" Remus sent telepathically to David as they watched Albus place the hat on Severus's head.

"I might have had a little chat with Alph," agreed David through the bond.

"Bribing the sorting hat to make him a Gryffindor?" returned Remus his amusement obvious.

"Interfering with the outcome of a sorting would be unethical," David sent back. "But I might have persuaded Alph to outline Father's Gryffindorish qualities and imply that he was a Gryffindor. The eventual decision will be unchanged. Besides, I have a sneaking suspicion that Father tried to interfere with my first sorting. He suggested that Alph push me towards Slytherin if I was a borderline case. I'm just returning the favour."

"I suppose Severus really is quite Gryffindor at times," mused Remus as he watched the man in question pale. "It would take great courage to spy as he did. He also gave up the chance to be Crimson Sire for years which would suggest a lack of ambition making him less Slytherin than he was at school."

"True," said David. "But if he doesn't come out as a Slytherin there'll be no living with him." Thankfully it was only a few moments later that the hat cried 'Slytherin' and a very relieved looking Severus handed it over to the headmaster. As part of his new character Severus had stopped keeping a mask up to hide his emotions making it much more fun to tease him since he would actually react. While his appearance had changed he had lost none of his intelligence and he glared at David as he sat down. David smiled sweetly back confirming his suspicions. Perhaps he could get the lad to scrub his cauldrons again. Yes, that was the answer; he could have the first years do some experimental brewing first.

David became extremely jumpy as Wednesday and his visit to Azkaban approached. On Tuesday evening Remus found himself considering physically tying him down just to get him to stop pacing and half an hour after they had retired to bed he snapped and gave David the ultimatum of drinking a sleeping draft or returning to his own rooms so that at least one of them would get some sleep. David looked at him for a few moments and then apparated away.

The next morning David did not show up for breakfast. Remus was not too surprised since he knew he had left Hogwarts the previous night and there was no reason for him to return until after he had been to Azkaban. As it was he was glad David was absent since it meant that he did not hear Remus's exclamation when he opened and read his post. The letter was from the werewolf registry office in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Remus and David had visited the office over the Christmas holidays to register their intention to marry. They both had to be interviewed to prove that David was aware of Remus's status and was not being coerced into anything.

The elderly witch who had conducted the interviews was sympathetic. She assured them that the interviews and application forms were a mere formality and that she would be sending her recommendation that approval for their match should be given. They just had to wait for the official letter from the department head before they could actually hold the ceremony. The letter had still not arrived, instead Remus's post was a notice of a new clause to the Werewolf Code of Conduct that would come into force on the 1st of April to the effect that werewolves would no longer be permitted to marry witches or wizards. The code already forbade them from marrying muggles due to muggles lacking any ability to protect themselves from a werewolf at close quarters. Due to this change the department would no longer be granting marriage permissions.

"What's up?" Severus asked Remus in a very unSnapelike way. Remus handed over his letter. "They're targeting you specifically," commented Severus when he saw the date. "I'll bet it was Umbridge who drafted the new clause. She caused Albus a lot of trouble when he found a way around her last law to enable him to employ you."

"How on earth do I break it to David?" asked Remus forlornly. "Were it anyone else we could just live together or have a muggle ceremony, but he can't do that in his position."

"Actually, this might be the rope to hang the Ministry with," said Severus. "If you look at it closely the clause does not apply to David." He pointed the word 'wizard' out to Remus and gave him a significant look and dropped his voice. "Technically he's not. I don't know why you even bothered to go to the registry in the first place; the rules didn't apply to you."

"After our engagement was publicised things would have looked odd if we hadn't," said Remus equally softly. "We also wanted to make sure that they couldn't claim we didn't notify them."

"Tell Viddy tonight," Severus advised, he had taken to calling David 'Viddy' since that was what his son supposedly called him. "He knows all the laws on the books backward bless his photographic memory. I'll be very surprised if he doesn't immediately list all the possible loopholes you can make use of."

Remus went off to his classes feeling only a little bit better than he had on first reading the letter. He was furious that Umbridge would target him like that, agreeing with Severus's assessment of how the law came about. He was also not convinced that the marriage would take place since there was over two months for her to come up with more laws to prevent it.

David, in his teenager guise, sat in a small wooden boat with Albus, Fudge and two aurors, the aurors just happened to be Kingsley and another member of the Order. He had made sure to cast a mild confundus charm on Fudge when they met that morning so that he would not connect Crimson with the young man he might have noticed across the great hall on Christmas Day. They crossed the North Sea and arrived on the Isle of Azkaban. Fudge had been keen to 'educate' the new Crimson Lord and had welcomed the opportunity to explain the justice system to him and show him around the prison. Justice was one of the areas the zia houses always took an interest in since part of their oath was to uphold the law. In this assessment Fudge was not entirely correct; zias were sworn to champion justice not the law. They were part of the checks and balances of society to keep out unjust laws.

As they approached the fortress David grew pale and shivered slightly. Fudge patted him on the shoulder in a fatherly way and commended him on his dedication to duty in personally inspecting the prison. They were greeted at the dockside by one of the prison wardens who they simply referred to as 'Warden.' The wardens of Azkaban, like executioners, were never identified by name lest ex-prisoners or their families try for revenge. The short visit Fudge had envisioned started to go wrong when Crimson requested a list of all the prisoners from the warden. When he was given the list Crimson asked specifically whether all the inhabitants of the island were on the list.

"Apart from myself and my two colleagues and the dementors that's it," the warden assured him. "From time to time we get an auror trainee on work experience but we've got none here at the moment."

They entered the prisoners' part of the building and Crimson stopped at the first cell they came to. He asked to talk to its inmate and when the warden opened the door he and Albus entered. Crimson produced a notebook, and to Fudge's disgust, a ballpoint pen, with which he took notes on the condition of the prisoner, Reginald Smith according to the list, and asked him some questions until it became clear that he was completely mad. As they passed each cell Crimson would check off the prisoner inside and make a brief note of his or her condition. If the prisoner was lucid he or Albus would pause to ask questions or exchange a few words.

By the tenth prisoner Fudge realised that the visit was not going to be concluded any time soon. He was torn between wanting to leave the dreadful place and a need to cultivate a concerned statesman image for the sake of his young companion. His cautious suggestions that they move on a bit quicker were ignored by both Albus and Crimson. In the end Fudge decided that although he usually made his annual inspection visit in the summer when the dreary place seemed less foreboding, he would count this in its place this year. The thought of it being at least eighteen months before he next had to set foot on the accursed island sustained him through the rest of their tour of the cells.

Several hours later Fudge was feeling decidedly hungry but the others showed no sign of stopping. He asked the warden about the possibility of getting some lunch when it was served to the prisoners and was informed that the inmates did not eat lunch. They received their nutritional replacement potions in the evening. "You sleep better if you've something in your belly," explained the warden. "I'm not heartless. Black suggested it when he was an inmate and it made them all a bit calmer and easier to deal with. I always said he shouldn't be in here you know…" He went on to list all the things he had noticed about Sirius while he was a prisoner and how nobody would believe him when he had said it did not make sense for him to be a murderer. Fudge tuned the man's ramblings out and tried to quell his growling stomach. He did not want Crimson to question why the prisoners did not get fed. He just hoped that he was right in thinking this was the last corridor of cells.

As it was none of Fudge's companions seemed to notice the lack of food. Crimson marked each prisoner off on his list and they were all accounted for. His rough calculation was that about half of them were currently mad, rising to nearly three quarters of those who had been there more than a year, although they might recover with treatment. He had noted that the cases of madness grew fewer as the day wore on. Since the dementors were away from the prison while the visitors were there to make their visit less unpleasant he hypothesised that the madness receded as the time since a prisoner's exposure to dementors increased.

As they walked down the corridor back towards the wardens' quarters Crimson paused suddenly and placed his palm against the grimy wall. He stood still for a long moment as if listening to something, before exchanging a significant look with Albus and turning to the warden. Crimson thanked him for his hospitality. "Are you certain there are no other prisoners or inhabitants on the island?" he asked looking deep into the man's eyes.

"Just me, my two fellows and the dementors," said the man.

"And the cells you directed us to are the only ones here?" pressed Crimson.

The man assured him that they were. "Really my boy," said Fudge patting Crimson's shoulder, "we've kept the warden and the dementors from their duties long enough. You've seen all there is to see and I look forward to hearing you considered view on the subject and I'm sure the prisoner's families will be grateful for any messages you take them, but it's time we were heading back to the mainland."

"Minister, to speak plainly I don't believe we've seen everything," said Crimson. "You might have noticed that I paused in the corridor? There's a hidden door in the wall. I want to know where it leads and what is being hidden behind it."

Fudge saw Albus was watching his reaction intently. He did not know what to say. He did not believe that there were any people hidden on the island, but now that he thought about it when he had approached the wardens about keeping Potter here without anyone knowing they had had no problem doing so. He had not seen Potter when he came for his annual visit during his incarceration. His mind turned to the possibility that there were other 'unknown' prisoners. There had been rumours of such people, dark prisoners he believed they were called, circulating through the Ministry every so often, but he himself had issued a statement that they did not exist. What if he were wrong? Could he afford to be proved ignorant? Or worse be accused of complicity? Would it be best to try to cover this up or to go in wand blazing and become the saviour of the unfortunates hidden below? A glance towards the now shifty-eyed warden confirmed that there were indeed people hidden away. Crimson left Albus to deal with the undecided Fudge and the warden and walked back to the door he had found. By the time he had forced it open the aurors had signalled for backup and joined him. They lit their wands and accompanied Crimson into the tunnel beyond.

"How did you know?" asked Kingsley a quarter of an hour later as he supported Crimson back out of the tunnel past the contingent of aurors who were pouring in to arrest the wardens and take over the running of the prison.

"I was one of them," said Crimson weakly. "I remembered where I'd been kept." Kingsley's grip on him tightened as he helped Crimson out of the fortress and into the open air. The cool air revived Crimson a bit. It also helped Kingsley who, had he had paler skin, would have looked decidedly green. Kingsley had a vague impression that the knowledge that Crimson had been a dark prisoner should mean something to him, but as he tried to remember what the notion slipped through his grasp. He thought no more about it.

"I didn't know," said Kingsley in self recrimination. "I should have known. I've heard the rumours. I've been here enough times. I've even interviewed some of the wardens as part of their performance evaluations."

Crimson flopped down on the rocks and looked out to sea. "It was hidden. You know now and you helped to reveal it and end it. There's no point dwelling on what might have been. Best not to think about what you saw either."

"How are you coping?" Albus asked Crimson kindly as he came up behind them.

"Not well," said Crimson truthfully. He was shaking violently despite his thick winter cloak and the windshield charm around them. "But I feel much better now I'm outside. Are they who we thought they were?"

"Of the twenty, eighteen are. I don't even recognise the names the identification spell produced for the other two. They may not be British nationals.

There was a shout behind them as a witch in auror uniform came running out of the fortress. "Auror Shacklebolt? We need you back here. Carter tried to kill one of the victims. Hart has him restrained but if he's in on this conspiracy then…"

Kingsley jumped up and ran back towards the fortress his queasiness forgotten as his training kicked back in. Crimson started to rise too but he was still shaking uncontrollably. Albus laid a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him back down, then with agility which belied his age Albus sat down beside Crimson.

"When is the last time you ate?" he asked seriously.

"Supper last night," answered Crimson sheepishly. "I didn't think I'd keep the food down if I ate this morning."

Albus pulled a paper package out of his pocket and unwrapped the oiled paper to reveal a stack of sandwiches. He offered them to Crimson and then conjured him a cup of tea. The concept of eating, what turned out to be cucumber sandwiches, and drinking tea out of a fine boned china cup was too much for Crimson on top of everything else and he started to giggle hysterically. Albus simply encouraged him to drink his tea. As the calming potion which was obviously in the tea began to effect him Crimson considered idly that the Hogwarts house elves probably did not know quite what to do when asked for sandwiches. Sandwiches do not feature in the general run of cooked breakfasts, lunches, suppers and feasts, but the idea that perhaps fifty years previously the headmaster would have offered his afternoon guests cucumber sandwiches to go with their tea was feasible. They were not exactly filling but he guessed that that was not the point.

There was a muffled explosion behind them which did not bother Crimson in the slightest but had Albus back on his feet in an instant. Auror Hart came running towards them. "Professor Dumbledore? Auror Shacklebolt wonders if you'd lend us your expertise. There seems to be some kind of curse on the prisoners which prevents them leaving their cells alive."

"We'll be right there," said Albus and then he turned back to Crimson. "Come on lad, we're needed elsewhere. Stand up and come with me."

Crimson obediently went with Albus back into the dank tunnel Kingsley had recently had to help him out of. He did not even feel mildly uneasy and a very quiet voice at the back of his mind commented that Albus must have mistaken him for Hagrid when he dosed him. His mind was on how many Crimson sized people could fit in a Hagrid sized coat as he walked into the cells which had earlier affected him and a seasoned auror so profoundly. He did not even blink as he passed a couple of aurors cataloguing the jumbled remains of the man whose demise had been caused by the earlier explosion.

Crimson stood in the corridor humming slightly to himself as Albus talked to Kingsley as they both looked through the doorway into one of the cells. Albus drew his wand and started waving it around the doorframe and then after several minutes entered the cell and examined the prisoner inside instead. At length he reappeared and had another quiet conversation with Kingsley. Both wizards glanced towards Crimson as they spoke. In the end Crimson raised his hands in submission and Albus approached Crimson.

"Now my boy, I think you can help us with something," he said gently. "You'd like to be helpful wouldn't you?" Crimson nodded, yes, he would like to be helpful. "I want you to look at this doorway and these walls," explained Albus slowly taking him by the hand and leading him over to them. "Can you tell me if there are any magics on them?"

Crimson closed his eyes and reached out to the magical field around them. He could detect the field around each of the wizards and also the field the fortress was producing. He placed his palms against the wall of the cell to connect to the fortress's magic. After a minute of so he removed his hand.

"Lord Azkaban has not been talked to for years. He is very lonely," said Crimson simply.

"Has he been asked not to let the prisoners leave?" asked Albus as Kingsley looked at Crimson as if he had grown two heads.

"No," said Crimson firmly. "Lord Azkaban will not harm a human. He has been trying to protect them from the dementors but he was forced to allow the dementors inside."

"Thank you," said Albus and he led Crimson over to the former prisoner who was sitting wrapped in a blanket and talking to another auror. "Crimson, this is Mr Williamson; could you see whether he has a curse on him?"

Crimson nodded and knelt down beside the wizard, heedless of the blood and grime he was getting on his robes. "Please relax Sir," he said as he placed his palms a few inches above the blanket over Williamson's chest. "Sir, you have five active curses on you. There is one to ensure that you can only sleep for half an hour at a time. The second is keeping your blood pressure low so that you become dizzy easily. The third is disrupting your eyesight. The fourth will kill you if you leave this room without the caster. The final one has caused boils, er, in a private area. Would you like me to remove them?"

Williamson looked disbelievingly at Crimson and then questioningly towards the two aurors before finally settling on Albus. "Dumbledore?" he asked.

Albus instructed Crimson to remove the curses. Crimson in turn asked Williamson to relax and not to resist him. He replaced his hands and the muddy Crimson glow once more lit up the room. It was still muddy when he allowed his hands to fall. "Sir, you have several injuries. Do you wish me to heal you?" he asked Williamson.

"I'm sorry Angus," said Albus immediately, "but we need Lord Crimson to remove the curses on the other prisoners. He can do it more efficiently then the rest of us. Now that you can leave Auror Hart will take you off the island to a safe house where you can recover." He exchanged a few more words with the man and the auror helping him before leading Crimson from the cell. Auror Hart made to help Williamson leave the cell. He insisted that he would walk out under his own power and there was a collective holding of breath while he passed through the doorway. On seeing that he was unharmed Kingsley's scepticism was forgotten and he led Albus and Crimson on to the next cell to repeat the procedure.

Removing the curses took a lot of Crimson's energy. His method required the cooperation of the patient and these dark prisoners had learned to fear everyone they saw. They were weak but their wills were strong to have survived this long and they fought him as he manipulated the magic around them. During the interschool duelling competition Crimson had removed countless hexes and curses but the current conditions were less than ideal. After the tenth prisoner he was stumbling. He withdrew a dose of the revitalicorpus potion that he always carried but Albus confiscated it. He did not know how it would react with the potion Crimson had already ingested. The need for Crimson to remove the curses had not been foreseen. Given time Albus himself or one of the aurors who specialised in curse breaking would be able to do so but they had to know the specific counter curses. Crimson could manipulate the magic at the intention level and so he could remove them much quicker; the prisoners needed to be out of the fortress and in a safe house as soon as possible.

Kingsley had to almost carry Crimson between the last three cells, but fortunately in his altered state Crimson was extremely amenable to being hauled around and then told what to do. As soon as the final prisoner was able to leave Albus removed a piece of paper from the notebook Crimson had been using earlier and penned a note to whichever house elf found their master and placed it in Crimson's hand before activating his emergency portkey to take him to Lions' Den. Albus himself needed to stay and ensure the prisoners were safe and the investigation was started. In his current state Crimson could no longer help. He imagined whichever of Molly or Sirius the house elves contacted would have strong words to say to him about his actions, but at the time Crimson had been becoming hysterical and drugging him had been necessary. He also consoled himself with the probability that given Crimson's knowledge and paranoia he would have been aware he was being drugged and would not have taken the tea if he had not wanted to. Albus had not tricked Crimson; he would have known what was going on.


	32. Investigations Take Time

Investigations take time 

David was only vaguely aware of the tug of the portkey and landing with a thud on the floor of his own bedroom. He wondered slowly what had got Simba so excited when she popped into the room a few moments later, but he could not summon the energy to talk to her. He hazily noticed that she was prizing something out of his hand before she started trying to remove his grimy, muddy and bloody clothing. He heard her voice distantly ask him for permission to remove the clothes when they would not budge and saw no reason to deny her. Although he said nothing his garments then allowed themselves to be undone. As he was levitated into bed his grip on the world around him failed completely.

David awoke late the next morning with a blinding headache. As soon as he realised that he upgraded that idea and decided that his whole body ached. "How're you feeling dear?" asked Molly a few minutes later as she came into the room.

"Sore," croaked David.

"Your father sent something along to help with that," said Molly helping him sit up and then holding a filled tumbler under his nose for inspection.

David sniffed the offered potion. "Actually, I'd rather have my revitalicorpus and I can't take it with this," he said apologetically.

"About that, I've got strict instructions," said Molly firmly moving the tumbler towards his lips. "The healer said she couldn't be sure how the revitalicorpus would react with the stuff Albus gave you. She said that your own judgement on the matter will be impaired until it's completely out of your system, so you mustn't have any for another day or so. Instead you've got to rest and eat wholesome foods to regain your strength. And I'm here to ensure you do."

David sighed and allowed her to feed him the potion. With his head aching the way it was he could not think clearly enough to find a loophole in her instructions. He really wanted it to let up and if she would not give him the potion he wanted at least this one should help. "Thank you Molly," he said meekly. "But you really don't have to look after me," he protested mildly as Simba popped up with a bed table and tray of food. "I'm sure you're extremely busy and Simba can ensure I eat."

"But if you tell Simba you want to get up she won't make you stay in bed," said Molly dismissively. "Besides it's no bother. There are some interesting books in your library I've been waiting for an excuse to spend time reading."

"Molly, you're welcome to read my books whenever you want," David assured her.

"Be that as it may," said Molly as she stirred his porridge and spooned some up, "I can't just spend my day reading when I should be doing other things, but if I'm looking after you, you'll be sleeping a lot so I've got nothing to do but read!" She shoved the spoon of porridge in his mouth as he opened it to protest. "I'll be having words with Albus when he drops by later," she told him as she refilled the spoon. "Your father was furious about the amount of work he had you do after he drugged you…"

David, having great difficulty in moving his limbs since his draining, was unable to do anything other than submit to being fed huge amounts of 'wholesome' food and putting in a few words in defence of Albus whenever Molly was a bit slow about refilling the spoon. It turned out that Molly's 'strict instructions' included not showing him the newspaper or discussing current events since coming down off Albus's potion would make it easy for him to get upset. Personally David thought the frustration of not knowing what was going on was more upsetting but Molly did not seem to buy that idea.

Through out the day David found that images of what he had seen in Azkaban came flooding back in gruesome Technicolor. Each time he closed his eyes he could see Old Man Rufus torturing Williamson just as they found him doing when they reached the cells. David was extremely tired and so did fall asleep at several points during the day but images of the prison both remembered and imagined haunted his dreams as well. He raised his occlumency shields to protect Remus from the onslaught of emotions they produced.

After Molly had found him screaming in his sleep for the second time she had retrieved the books on zia bonds and marriage customs and involved him in the planning she was doing for his wedding in an effort to take his mind off things. When he fell asleep again during her dissertation on the characters of each of the people the Ministry had insisted were invited he found himself dreaming about marrying Umbridge. When he kissed her she turned into a toad, while this was not pleasant it was much better than before and he did not wake up screaming.

Albus visited in the evening and assured David that everything had gone well. He told David that the prisoners they had rescued were now in a safe house being looked after by some of the shadow dragons who had responded to David's signal for them to come forward. The aurors were technically taking care of them but the shadow dragons were there to ensure that none of the aurors turned out to be part of the conspiracy and tried to kill off the evidence. It was the only news David got out of him. David was a bit hurt that Remus did not accompany Albus, but he knew that his workload would have doubled with his own absence. Albus also mentioned that he was overseeing a couple of third years in detention. The pair of Ravenclaws had apparently worked out the exact weak spot of the chain suspending the baby dragon skeleton from the ceiling of the DADA classroom. They had 'accidentally' hit this spot with an unspecified curse when they were supposed to be practicing charms to repel grindylows. James had told David of how a Marauder plan to do the same thing had never got off the ground so David imagined that Remus was less angry than impressed; certainly Albus seemed that way.

"Albus, the deal with not letting me have my potion is complete garbage," said David accusingly when Albus got up to leave without having mentioned the subject. "And so's the stuff about me not being allowed to see the newspaper. You want me out of the loop for a while. Why?"

Albus sighed heavily and sat back down. "David, the situation at the moment is very delicate and you are heavily emotionally involved," he said seriously. "The Ministry are still looking for Harry and a misstep on your part could be disastrous. If you had the strength you would be involving yourself, particularly if you read something that you dislike. We both no that no promise you could give would stop you if you believed it needed to be broken in a higher cause."

"You are interfering in my life again Albus," said David dangerously. Then he closed his eyes for a long moment and sighed. "I agree with your reasoning. I would leap in with my heart rather than my head controlling my actions, but not knowing what's going on is incredibly frustrating. I'd prefer you'd lift your restrictions than me having to go behind your back to avoid them. Even if I take revitalicorpus right now it'll still be nearly a week before I'll be fit enough to storm the Ministry or return to work."

David got his potions and his newspapers. He learnt that Fudge had tried to keep office but that public opinion was likely to have him out in short order. He saw that the head of the aurors Rufus Scrimgeour was personally heading up the investigation into the dark prisoners. Reading between the lines, and remembering what his family had said about the man, David decided Scrimgeour had seen the opportunity for advancement and was looking to be the next Minister. The Malfoy, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle case was progressing. The two sidekicks had been released pending further investigation but had not returned to school. They were being suspended for their part in intimidating other students as had been witnessed by Ron and Hermione. Whether or not they were involved in attempted murder would be decided later. For now the school was taking no chances and keeping them away from Hermione.

The part Albus had not wanted David to see was an editorial linking the Malfoys with Harry Potter. There was speculation about their relationship and even that Harry had been the mastermind behind the attacks. It was suggested that he had been using the imperious curse to control the Malfoy family. Inside sources had linked the words 'rape,' 'Malfoy' and 'Potter' and decided that he had attacked Narcissa Malfoy in order to gain the cooperation of her husband and son. When the speculations were continued in Friday's paper David began to understand why the inhabitants of the realm of the dead did not spend their time watching the living. It was horrible knowing that events were taking place and having no ability to do anything about them, particularly when they involved someone close to you. He decided not to seek out any more news until he was back on his feet and able to take part once more.

Remus turned up on Friday evening. Since the last time he had seen him David had apparated away in a huff and Remus had been unable to leave school to visit him earlier in his recovery, Remus was a bit wary of the reception he would get from David. As it was, David was extremely grateful that he persuaded Molly to return to Arthur and the Burrow for the weekend, that he did not even mention either event. David had recovered to the extent of being able to, in his opinion; shuffle around the house, in Molly's; stay in bed and read, and he had grown weary of her restrictions and was pleased to have a break.

"Remus, you've been on edge since you arrived last night," accused David on Saturday afternoon. They had spent a quiet day sitting in the library, David had been dosing and Remus had been reading, or at least appearing to read. David had noticed that he had not actually read more than a few pages all day. "What's wrong?" He brushed aside Remus's protests. "Something's wrong. I don't need the bond or legimency to know that. And it has something to do with us, I noticed the way you couldn't stand to look at the books I had beside the bed." Remus averted his gaze. "And I don't think you've suddenly got an aversion to musty tomes," added David trying to lighten the mood.

"It's not up for discussion," said Remus angrily.

"If you won't talk to me will you talk to Sirius or Tonks?"

"No," Remus almost shouted. "It's none of their business." He calmed down a bit and said with an attempt at a lighter tone, "It's just a small problem I'm mulling over. When the time comes to tell you about it I will. Do not raise the subject again."

David heard the order. He was annoyed that Remus had broken his word not to use the guardianship powers, but felt that it proved how upset he was. He found no compulsion to obey; therefore, he concluded, Remus did not truly believe that it was in his best interests to do so, and hence he definitely needed to press the subject. He propped himself up against the corner of the sofa he was had being reclining on and invited Remus to come and join him. When he refused David rolled his eyes and stretched out his hand summoning Remus onto the sofa so that he was leaning back against David, his head resting just below David's left shoulder. Once Remus was there, David locked his arms around him with his remaining strength before going limp, groaning, and muttering, "Note to self. Don't use a summoning charm on a person while half drained. Not a good idea."

As weak as his use of magic had left David, Remus could have easily broken free but his resolution to keep the facts about the new law from his fiancé until he had recovered had wilted against David's determination to share the burden. The comfort of being cradled against him had helped too. David simply held him for a while before he mentioned hearing from Albus that someone had finally managed to release the dragon skeleton.

Remus ceased on the change of subject and related the prank. "It was a bit odd," he concluded. "The two Ravenclaws owned up straight away. They weren't being cheeky, but they simply admitted calmly that they had intended to break the chain. Those two have never caused trouble before, it was like they were unsure of what proper prank etiquette required after the deed was done."

"Ravenclaws tend to be more serious than the other students; I blame their love of books. It's normally the Gryffindors and Slytherins who cause trouble. I bet someone put them up to it and then they didn't know what to do once they succeeded. Perhaps they were playing truth or dare or the like."

"Perhaps," agreed Remus.

"So ready to talk about what's really troubling you now?" asked David gently tightening his arms around Remus.

Remus nodded and in a rush told his bond-mate about the letter he had received on Wednesday, the implications it had for them and how he had wanted to keep the illusion of an engagement up for David until he had recovered from the turmoil of emotions Azkaban had caused and would be able to cope with the necessary break up.

"And you've been worrying about this since Wednesday?" asked David. "I'm so sorry. I occluded the bond to stop my nightmares affecting you and condemned you to your own. We already have royal approval for our match; do you really think some vindictive prose from the toad could overrule that? Even if we hadn't the rules about zias are ancient had can't be amended without consultation. They haven't changed in centuries, and at the heart of them are the ones which insist that should a soul-bond be identified then the penalties for trying to separate the pair are severe. You could demand a lot from me for trying to destroy our bond. If the events at Azkaban don't see Fudge and the toad out of office then this will. The only difficulty is proving that she was specifically targeting you."

"So they can't force us apart?" asked Remus twisting round to search David's eyes for the reassurance he needed.

"Not a chance," David told him firmly. "As long as we both want it the completion of the bond has to be allowed, nay encouraged." He had meant comfort with his words and was surprised to feel Remus's doubts return as he turned his face away. Then David understood. "You don't think I want this do you? You don't think I want you? Haven't you noticed that my fear of trusting you has been reducing?" Remus stiffened but made no reply. "We acknowledged the bond after I had been trying to persuade you to let me destroy it. I outlined all the reasons for you not wanting me, but I did not tell you why I wanted to break the bond. I should have explained myself."

David took a deep breath and continued, "I am not good at showing affection. You have taught me well, but I can understand your doubts about whether I'm just learning actions or if I have the feelings to go with them. I don't want you to be in any doubt about this. When I was sworn in back in July the Queen expressed her concern over the decline of the zia houses. I was instructed to find my soul-mate as quickly as possible and reproduce to ensure that my house survived. I already knew that you were probably that person from James and Lily and my own observations had confirmed it. Since I am the last of my line I had the right to force you to bond to ensure its continuity. You had been my professor, but I did not really know you. My initial intentions were to insist on my rights but I disliked the idea of forcing you into something. So I delayed to allow you time to get to know me and in the process got to know you better too.

"I started to become aware of my phobias but it wasn't until the day we visited the Dursleys that I realised how difficult a relationship with me would be. I realised that I could not obey the orders I was under. I could not force you into the bond. Initially I just wanted to delay matters so I encouraged my father to help me put you off, but I grew nervous as the bond strengthened. Then you found out who I was and I was afraid that if you noticed the bond you would acknowledge it out of a sense of duty. By this point I had admitted to myself that I loved you and I had no intention of inflicting my myriad problems on you, not to mention the horrors of the celebrity status that came with them. In short, when I tried to break the bond I was doing so because I cared about you. I admit it was a twisted way of showing it, but I want you to be in do doubt of my motivation."

"As two insecure people who have a hard time believing anyone would think us worth spending time over it's amazing we ever acknowledged the bond," commented Remus softly.

"Yes, but we did," said David, "and since I have the right to insist on the bond due to my position, and you have the right to demand things from me for having tried to destroy it, I can't see our marriage not taking place without a truly mutual decision against it."

"I wouldn't force you," said Remus hastily.

"Nor I you," agreed David, "but I thought the ability would be reassuring."

They sat still for a while, soaking up the companionship and love each was offering the other. Now Remus's long term doubts had been aired his reluctance to completely accept their bond had disappeared and the connection strengthened to the point where both wondered what additional awareness of each other they could gain from their actual marriage. David dosed off to finally rouse as Remus's weight shifted off him as he stood up.

"Time for supper," Remus informed him. David swung his legs slowly over the side of the sofa onto the ground and took the proffered hand to pull himself up. He made it upright before toppling forward and collapsing against Remus. "Looks like you were right about the summoning charm," commented Remus in amusement as he lifted David up to carry him from the room. "Oh hush your noise; it was your choice to do magic!"

The following Thursday David returned to Hogwarts. He grumbled to the rest of the staff that his supposed tip off about a banshee in Mongolia had come to nothing. He had gone hoping to get some footage for the fourth years, but there had not been a banshee at all instead she had been a nomadic muggle who wanted to scare a family who had insulted her husband. He complained convincingly about having been sent on a wild goose chase. The day before David had taken a short trip to Mongolia to spy out the land for his supposed travel and so was able to talk knowingly about the terrain.

Valentines Day fell on a Saturday with the full moon the previous Wednesday. This was convenient for David and Remus since they would be away from school. The only time David could remember even noticing the day in previous years had been when Lockhart had ensured nobody could avoid it. His mind was caught up in the status of the Malfoy investigation and the current lies about Harry Potter and it did not occur to him that there was an important date coming up for him to remember. Fortunately, Ginny sent him a letter, via his father, to remind him of the event and give him some suggestions for how to mark the occasion. These included not asking the twins to help you compose a poem and then having a singing dwarf deliver it. When David first read the letter he felt a bit embarrassed that she had felt the need to send it. Was it really that obvious that he did not have a clue? He was cheered up by her comment at the bottom that she had sent the same list to Ron since he had disastrously forgotten the date the previous year causing him to break up with Lavender Brown, his girlfriend at the time.

It turned out that someone, possibly also Ginny, had talked to Remus and had hinted to him the events of the Lockhart year because Remus apologised, with a wink, over breakfast for not sending David a singing valentine. David cringed at the memory before describing Lockhart's Valentine's day arrangements in all their pink fluffy detail. He conjured up images of the surly dwarves running around the school to illustrate the horror of the activities. They spent an enjoyable day visiting some of the vineyards David had found while researching wine over the summer. They kept to the proper etiquette of not swallowing the wine they tasted but instead apparated home almost sober carrying a few bottles for further investigation.

On arrival at Lions' Den they found a note from Sirius to the effect that Scrimgeour had given a speech on the Wizarding Wireless Network calling for the resignation of the Minister for Magic and citing the incidents of corruption that he had uncovered including the false imprisonment of one Harry Potter following a trial at which the evidence was interfered with, and the questionable relationship Fudge's administration had employed with the family now at the centre of an attempted murder enquiry. Sirius added that he had popped over to the Ministry and found that Fudge and his cronies were working furiously to find a way to stay in power. He said that the majority of the Ministry employees were significantly absent except for a few strategically placed aurors who were preventing access (and possible destruction) of papers in the empty offices. All in all Sirius was predicting Fudge would be out within the week and he should be taking the toad with him.

David and Remus greeted this news cautiously. They wanted to believe it but were used to being disappointed by the government. They were also unsure whether Scrimgeour would be any better than Fudge. Fudge was probably more incompetent than malicious. Rufus Scrimgeour had a reputation for intelligence, cunning and decisive action. He would be a much more dangerous opponent if they did find themselves at odds. Those were their thoughts as they sat down to supper, but as the wine flowed and they ate their favourite foods they discussed the matter with ever growing enthusiasm. By the time they finished both of them were in extremely good moods. Neither were drunk, the experience at Christmas had caused both to resolve not to get drunk while Voldemort was still at large since you could never know when something would happen.

When they left the table David turned to head for the library since it was their custom to read there together in the evenings they spent in Lions' Den. Remus halted the shorter man in the doorway and leaned down to kiss him, judging that David was more receptive than usual he pulled David's head up towards his own and deepened the kiss. Kissing was the current item on Remus's agenda for David's education. When David had noticed the trend that his interactions with Remus were taking and the excuse of dance lessons no longer covered it they had discussed Remus's intentions. Remus had assured his bond-mate that he would stop his current actions at any point he was requested to, but that he felt that in the long run David would be happier if he managed to conquer his phobias. David agreed with Remus's aims and admitted that while he needed to progress slowly he did want for them eventually to be intimate to the point where children were a possibility. His stipulation was that there would be no penetration of any kind and in any direction. When he agreed to this Remus had been calculating the wide possibilities it left open, and had not realised that David included French kissing as a forbidden activity.

When the topic had initially come up Remus had tried to understand why having someone else's tongue in his mouth caused such a problem for David, but had decided in the end that he probably did not want to know. New Year's Day had been the first time they had kissed that way and while they had done so several times David tended to receive rather than exchange the kiss. Now with the zia on a high from an enjoyable day and some long awaited news he felt the time was right to attempt to breech that boundary. Remus ran his tongue gently along the line of David's lips to signal his intent and was pleased to find he had judged the mood right when David responded without his usual hesitation and allowed him entry. He pushed his feelings of love and pleasure through the bond to reassure him and was rewarded by David finally ceasing to be an inactive partner in what had at last become an exchange.

David moved his arms from his sides so that he was pulling Remus's head down to maintain contact with one hand while he used the other arm to pull his body closer, his anxieties quashed by the emotions he was receiving from his bond-mate. Remus became the less active partner allowing David control over their kiss, but encouraging him by pulling him closer so that their bodies were flush against each other. Remus's hand snaked around David's waist and moved up his back. It was not until David froze and withdrew that Remus realised that he had managed to get his arm underneath David's sweater and was touching his skin. Given how careful David was with his clothing, as witnessed by the bath they had given him at Halloween, he was amazed he had been able to do so. Remus thought he had ruined the moment, but to his surprise and relief David pulled him closer, recaptured his mouth and started to work his own hands under Remus's clothing to explore his back.

When they finally broke the kiss Remus took David's head in his hands and looked at him closely. "Do you want more?" he asked softly. David paused for a moment before jerking his head up and down once. Remus wrapped his arms back around the younger man and apparated them both up to their bedroom. Whatever had changed to allow Remus access under David's clothing stayed that way and Remus was able to remove the clothes from David's upper body. He quickly noticed that his partner had become completely passive again and his fear had started to increase so Remus nudged him towards returning the actions.

David clumsily removed Remus's jumper and then started to unbutton his shirt with shaking hands. Seeing David was getting nowhere fast Remus kissed him again in an effort to calm his nerves. It worked. As the kiss deepened David stopped attacking the buttons and instead he clicked his fingers, the shirt disappeared and he pulled Remus tightly against him so that their bare chests came into contact. Feeling David's euphoria as he overcame one of his phobias Remus moved his hands lower and cupped David's cheeks bringing their groins into contact through their trousers.

"I'm not ready for anything internal," David sent nervously but determinedly through the bond, his mouth otherwise engaged.

"That wasn't what I had in mind," Remus returned dryly. Remus slid one hand between them and to the clasp of David's trousers. "I know the limits; will you trust me to stick to them?" Instead of answering verbally, David clicked his fingers once more and the rest of their clothing and shoes vanished into the closet.

"You know undressing can be part of the fun," Remus commented mildly as he found his hands suddenly in contact with bare skin. "But I'll admit your method has its advantages too." He backed David towards their bed keeping their bodies in contact as they moved. "Now let me explain what I had in mind." It was an explanation that required few coherent words.

About a fortnight later the Ministry gearing up for an election and all other business such as current auror investigations were just kept ticking over on reduced manpower. This was frustrating for those waiting on the outcomes of the Malfoy interrogations, but there was nothing that could be done about it. Back at Hogwarts there were other things uppermost in people's minds. When the subject of increased student misbehaviour was up for debate at the staff meeting David found it very difficult to keep his knowledge of the cause to himself. The trouble was that it would be obvious to those who knew him that he had known more than he let on when the truth finally came out. Most of the teachers had more detentions scheduled for the following week than usual; even Sibyll had given one which was almost unheard of. David himself had added to the problem with his own prank in the great hall on the previous Wednesday.

David had been visiting the school as David Antirrhinum to have an interview with McGonagall about taking his NEWTs without actually becoming a formal student. She had tested his abilities in his chosen subjects and then agreed to arrange the examination entries for him. She tried to persuade him to become a student, outlining the benefits that making friends and spending time with people his own age would bring, but David naturally resisted. The rise in the numbers of pranks by the student population had not gone unnoticed by David and he had sought out the cause. When he found it he decided to join in with his own piece of mischief, but it would not be fitting behaviour for a teacher. Hence he had prepared carefully for his visit as his teenaged self.

David had charmed the benches and chairs in the great hall to massage everyone's posteriors while they ate. The unexpected movement had caused a lot of surprise among the staff and the students and there were some loud exclamations as people tried to stand up and found themselves stuck for the couple of minutes that the massages lasted. Minerva had loudly demanded that 'whichever student was responsible own up immediately' and since David was not a student he had decided to keep quiet. Had she imposed a blanket punishment he would have admitted his actions, but with nobody else in the firing line he had delayed.

Now the topic of Wednesday's prank was brought up by Minerva who was worried by the level of magical ability required to pull it off. She admitted that it had not been harmful or malicious but still disapproved. She gave it as her considered opinion that only Hermione Granger could have done it. At this Remus and Severus looked suspiciously towards David.

"Was it you?" Remus sent telepathically.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Just a bit of fun."

"You can't let Hermione take the blame," sent Remus firmly.

"I know. I wouldn't," David sent back; then he spoke up. "Minerva, I don't think it was Miss Granger's doing," he said clearly. "I realise that I didn't witness the events myself, but David was visiting last week sometime wasn't he? Was that the day he was here?"

"You think he…?" asked Minerva surprised that someone unfamiliar with the school would have the audacity to do such a thing.

"He has the knowledge," admitted Severus, "although I thought he was above such childish tricks." His tone made David well aware that there would be words exchanged on the subject at a later date. "I know what you were like at school Remus, have you been contaminating my son? Or was it all your doing Viddy?"

"I had nothing to do with it," Remus assured his colleagues subconsciously backing into his chair and away from the irate Minerva.

"If I might?" asked David drawing the attention back towards himself. "None of the events concerned have caused any lasting damage. There have been more cases of mischief than usual, but none of them have been malicious and in many cases the perpetrators have owned up immediately. When groups have been involved they have often included people from across the years and houses. I have four students scheduled for detention on Tuesday and they are each from a different house. I think there is an organising force behind these events, but it is causing the students to work together. Alph often sings about house unity, so why don't we just keep a watchful eye out for anything dangerous but otherwise not worry too much?"

His colleagues considered this. There were a few nods of agreement around the room. Albus in particular seemed pleased with David's interpretation of events. "You know exactly what's going on don't you?" sent Remus.

"Of course," sent back David. "But I'm not telling you."

"I want to know," Remus told David that night when he found himself thinking about what was going on with the students and so unable to fall asleep.

"Huh?" asked David sleepily.

"I want to know why the students are behaving the way they are," said Remus in David's ear as he snuggled up behind him and held him close.

"Shouldn't tell you," murmured David. "You'll stop them. Shouldn't have said I knew." Remus's hands worked their way under David's pyjamas and he started nuzzling his neck. "Now I really can't tell you," said David as the hands moved lower. "If I give in… now… I'll… ah… never be able to keep any secrets." he finished with a rush.

"You shouldn't be keeping secrets from me," Remus informed him through the bond as his hands and mouth continued to caress him. "You taught me that lesson when I neglected to tell you about that new law."

"Not the same… thing," David said, struggling against sleep and the distraction of Remus's hands, one of which was now worrying his left nipple. Remus upped the ante by starting to grind his body against David's. "You… worried. I'm… not," breathed David as he tried to pull away.

Remus held David where he was and continued his persuasions. "Your father isn't keen on pranks," he hissed in David's ear. "I imagine he's planning on a stiff penalty. Of course given my guardianship bond…" He trailed off leaving the implied rescue in the air. "Assuming you prefer my response to the situation," he added as an afterthought and rolled away.

David lay still for a moment before turning towards him. "Very well," he said, "but I'm agreeing because I think you'll enjoy knowing, not because you persuaded me. Fred and George are running a competition as a publicity campaign. You can enter each prank you pull this term. You get more points if you use their products or involve members of other houses. The bigger the better and there is a bonus category for the most severely punished. But they have a few rules too; no permanent damage or malicious element and nothing that results in suspension or expulsion is eligible. Everything must be done in good fun. They have semi-official permission through Sirius as a governor. Albus knows that there is a publicity campaign that will help promote house unity but he wasn't told the exact details. I imagine he's worked them out though."

"I suppose they used an age charm on their publicity so that only the students would know the details?" asked Remus.

"Yeah, and of course I saw through it too. Fred was not too pleased at first and I kept him squirming until I had the whole story out of him. I insisted he let Albus know some things but agreed to keep quiet as long as nobody was harmed. I'm not looking forward to the lecture my father will give me when he finds out after the winners are announced, but I do honestly think it is good for interhouse relations."

"Informing Albus was the responsible yet not fun-squashing thing to do," said Remus approvingly. He rolled back and turned David over so that he could resume his former activities. "But it was extremely childish to enter the competition yourself. Not to mention that as their silent partner you shouldn't be eligible."

"Unlike some people I never got to play any pranks as a student," David accused him back. "But," he teased, "your response is… definitely… preferable to disembowelling potion ingredients."


	33. Wedding Preparations

Wedding Preparations 

In mid March, a week before the end of term the trial of Draco Malfoy took place. It was presided over by Amelia Bones as head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement since Minister Scrimgeour did not feel the need to keep Fudge's law entitling himself to oversee cases. It resulted in Malfoy being sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban for many crimes including abduction, rape, perverting the course of justice and attempted murder. As the death of Harry Potter was still a matter for debate the court issued a statement inviting him to come forward now that he had been cleared of any wrong doing. Not all the news was good, since in the reshuffle at the Ministry Umbridge had moved back to her previous position in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

David and Albus discussed Harry's response at length before David drafted a letter confirming Harry was alive and expressing a wish that the court systems that allowed his trial to be tampered with and then his incarceration as a dark prisoner be investigated and improved upon. Albus believed that David's best chance of as normal a life as a zia could get would be for Harry not David to destroy Voldemort. They had visited the Department of Mysteries and confirmed that both prophesies referred to David. On hearing the second one, David refused to divulge its contents other than to confirm that it did indeed suggest that he would defeat Voldemort. The concept that he had to conceive a child before he could confront him was a cause of dread. While he and Remus now had a sexual relationship he still could not stomach the thought of the intimacy that conception would require. Had their roles been reversed and Remus been the zia it might have been possible, but with things as they were he believed it would take years before he would be ready to face Voldemort for the final showdown.

David's fears led to an in depth discussion with Albus over the nature of prophesies. Albus did not speculate out loud as to why David was so interested in whether the prophesy would come true but did realise that there was something in the second prophesy that David was dreading. It was an educated guess that it was something to do with the child mentioned, since a female teacher had initially been expected, but David did not say what about the child had got him so concerned. Albus offered David what comfort he honestly could. They discussed how many of the prophesies recorded by the department never came to pass and how therefore contradictions were inevitable. He also cautioned David not to wait until he believed conditions mentioned by the prophesy were fulfilled because they might never come about.

When the Minister personally responded to 'Harry's' letter, David resisted the invitation to talk things over in person and continued his correspondence by letter. When he had written the first one he had included enough personal information to verify his identity. Scrimgeour worked fast once he gained office to solidify his position by fast tracking the investigations he had used to throw doubt on Fudge's premiership. Once the Draco Malfoy trial was out of the way and Potter had been cleared he turned to those involved in the dark prisoner conspiracy followed by Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy senior.

It was finally revealed how Albus's hair had been stolen for use in polyjuice potion. It seemed that Lucius Malfoy had been extremely angry when Harry had tricked him into freeing his house elf, Dobby. He had researched the exact details of how house elf bonds worked and discovered recourse for if a house elf was freed accidentally without the agreement of the head of the family. As with all magic, intention was the key thing, even though Lucius had himself freed Dobby, he had not intended to do so at the time and Dobby was not completely out of his control. He was able to insist that Dobby become his elf again, if he could find him to do so. His son had overheard Harry talking about how Dobby had knitted him some socks and had then discovered that Dobby was working at Hogwarts. Lucius Malfoy came up with an excuse to visit and brought the elf back under his control giving him strict orders not to tell anyone one or act in any different way to before. Lack of clothes might be the mark of a house elf's enslavement but it was a symbol not a necessity, as always the intention was at the heart of the magic.

Dobby had been forced to steel the hairs while supposedly ensuring they were safely destroyed so that they could not be used in a potion. The orders Malfoy had given him were very carefully worded so that there was no way he could inform anyone of what was going on without directly disobeying an order which he could not do. David had considered contacting Dobby after he escaped and was now fervently relieved that he had not done so. He put his energies into sorting out a way to ensure Dobby could get his freedom for real.

It turned out that Pansy Parkinson had been tricked into helping with the Malfoy plot. She was guilty of being a bit foolish but nothing worse. She had indeed hexed Hermione on the train, but she had not known precisely what the hex she sent would do, which could count for how Hermione survived it since she would not have put the correct feelings behind it. Malfoy had taught her the hex and suggested she use it to get revenge on Hermione for beating her to the headgirlship. She had a long uncomfortable interrogation which was followed by an appearance in front of the Wizengamot, but it was ultimately proved that she had not attempted murder, and she was released with a warning.

While Scrimgeour was making his clean sweep of the previous administration's skeletons, Albus and David worked with the shadow dragons to put together a document about their foundation, aims and uses. Since David had conducted a mind-ritual with David Dragon, Dragonmaster of the shadow dragons, he was the only one who knew all the signals and operating parameters. He presented the information to Scrimgeour, and made sure to explain that he was only coordinating things in the short term and was not trying to build his own empire as the new dragonmaster.

Scrimgeour had been an auror all his working life but had only been aware of the shadow dragons in a vague manner since they had disappeared before he became head auror. He knew the sort of work they had accomplished and was keen to bring them onside. The question was settled amicably with Scrimgeour suggesting a six months' to a year's training and adjustment period before the agents got back out into the field so that the reporting system could be overhauled and new safeguards developed to prevent them being rounded up in secret in the future. The one non-shadow dragon dark prisoner who had survived turned out to be a United States national whose reason for coming to Britain he could no longer remember, but the records suggested that he had disappeared with the cooperation of, if not at the request of, someone back in the US. Until the exact circumstances could be discovered he had been offered asylum and rehabilitation by the British Ministry.

As the spring term drew to a close there was one notable event, unless you count the rumours as to why one of the DADA teachers was marking most of the potions homework for two weeks. With Draco Malfoy expelled and currently residing in Azkaban the school needed a new head boy. David stayed out of the debate over candidates as much as he could since he did not feel able to be impartial. He could remember what Ron had seen in the Mirror of Erised and knew that along with quidditch captain who he currently was, he wanted to be head boy. Theodore Nott and Justin Finch-Fletchley were raised as possible candidates along with Ron.

David's plan of being uninvolved in the decision was thwarted when Fillius, the amicable and generous man that he was, noticed that he was not involved and asked for his own opinion 'as someone outside of the house prejudices.' David had been given the temporary Slytherin housemastership on the same idea; since his sorting had taken so long he must have been difficult to place and share qualities from different houses.

"Nott is a loner," he said, "the position would force him to work with others which would be good for him, but I think someone who has already shown himself able to do so would be a better choice given the shortness of the time involved. Finch-Fletchley is a good solid candidate but he can be quick to jump to conclusions and unwilling to hear someone else's side of the story." He was remembering the incident with the snake in the duelling club. Events over this school year and shown that Justin had still not learnt to question the surface appearance of things.

"And Weasley?" prompted Fillius.

"Weasley would be my choice," said David truthfully. "But I'm probably biased since I've seen more of him over my efforts to protect Miss Granger." It was a partial truth, but he felt he really should admit to his bias, given that three people in the room were well aware of it. "Judging by the way he stood up to Umbridge shows moral fibre and given how Malfoy turned out I think that is a necessary quality." He kept his comments calm and collected so as not to actively try to persuade his colleagues but was pleased when after a lot more discussion Ron was elected as the new head boy.

School broke up on the 24th March and David and Remus returned to Lions' Den for the final run up to their wedding on the 4th of April. Their friends had been informed of the date back in January, but the invitations had only just been sent out so as to keep the secret of exactly who Remus was marrying as long as possible. Unlike a muggle marriage where the match needs to be publicised to prevent bigamy, the wizarding variety included spells to check that the intended partners were not yet bound to anyone else, whether legally or through a soul-bond, so there had been no need to notify anyone in advance. With everything else going on they did not want to deal with the backlash of David marrying a lycanthrope until after the deed was done.

Remus recalled Minerva's shock when he had handed over her invitation. It was not until that moment that he realised she had assumed that David was also a werewolf, not that him being a zia made that impossible but it did give Minerva another explanation for why he did not seem to bothered about getting paper qualifications. She had assumed he had felt they would not help him get a job.

Remembering the frantic scramble whenever he left for the Hogwarts express with the Weasleys, David had expected the week running up to his wedding to be equally chaotic. This was not the case. It probably helped that Molly had organised a wedding the previous summer, but there was also the fact that she was orderly; it was her children who were not. All the preparations were completed with three days to spare. Then Ron and Sirius descended on their respective best friends and took them out to mark their last nights as bachelors. Both found this odd since they had felt bonded ever since their discussion after David returned from his visit to Azkaban, but they went along with their enthusiastic friends.

Ron had got all his brothers involved, even Percy, and had tried to organise a night out in muggle London. Fortunately he had admitted that the muggle customs defeated him and asked Hermione's advice. Hermione had recognised that David had changed a lot after Azkaban although he did not talk about it and had run their ideas past Sirius to check they would not cause any problems. Sirius vetoed what Fred and George had done to Bill the previous summer which had involved alcohol followed by rope, a parking meter and extremely little clothing. He also pointed out that David was not legally able to drink in the muggle world and it would not do for him to be discovered breaking law by someone like Rita Skeeter. Sirius gave his opinion that David would probably prefer to play quidditch and have a few butterbeers afterwards than spend time crammed into a club in London with the general 'meat market' attitude of most of the patrons.

In the end David had a meal out with all the younger Weasleys, Fleur and Hermione followed by some butterbeers at Hermione's home while the non-muggle aware were introduced to the delights of the Star Wars trilogy. David knew of it but had not got around to seeing it himself and so was happy to finally put pictures to the sounds he could remember coming through the wall of the Dursley's living room and into his cupboard. Sirius's plans were by far the more adventurous and ended with Remus unconscious on the floor of his hallway. Thankfully there was no longer a screaming portrait to be disturbed by the commotion.

When Remus turned up at Lions' Den in the middle of the next morning he looked horrible. David was tired himself, but not ready to kick the bucket as Remus appeared to be. "Have a good time?" he asked cautiously. All Remus did in response was to order him never to 'listen to a word Sirius says if 'you'll love it' is part of the sentence' before he collapsed into a chair and fell asleep.

The Weasley family and Sirius turned up at Lions' Den the night before the ceremony so as to be on hand early when the preparations started. Given the threat from Voldemort which had now increase to the couple since he would want them for breeding his future servants, David and Remus were planning on spending their honeymoon at Lions' Den. Instead of them going away, everyone else would keep away.

As was traditional, the pair had to be kept apart from the night before the wedding until they met for the ceremony. Remus moved back into his old room temporarily. In his absence David found he had difficulty getting to sleep. He could feel Remus's nerves adding to his own through the bond, but had been strictly instructed not to contact him telepathically (it seemed Severus knew about that aspect of zia bonds even if nobody else had done) and of course not to see him face to face either. So David cast around for something to read to take his mind off things and his eye fell on the book on soul-bonds that Molly had brought up when he had been ill. He read a couple of chapters dealing with the problems of long separations between bond-mates and then flicked through the book to find a more interesting part. His attention was caught by the chapter entitled, 'Behaviour of the Bond after the Ceremony' and saw that it referred to the marriage rather than the acknowledgement. He thought it would be prudent to read this part and settled down to it.

Most of it was pretty obvious. The connection between the partners increased, but David noted that this happened at the point each admitted his trust for the other and he reckoned that for them this had already happened. There were descriptions of the abilities the bond would share between them and the extent to which each would be able to harness the other's energy. Then towards the end of the chapter there was a paragraph describing how until the marriage was consummated the bond distance the partners were able to get from each other without feeling weak would decrease. David looked over the numbers and did the mathematics in his head. Since he and Remus shared a house and worked in the same place they would probably be alright for about six months. The distance started at about three-quarters of a mile, but by then it would have reduced to less than a hundred meters and start to become apparent given the size of Hogwarts. He thought he had been nervous before, but now that there was a time limit he felt ready to panic. Why had not any of his relatives told him this? He could only suppose that it had not been an issue for so many generations that they had not thought about it.

David forced himself to meditate in an attempt to calm down and partially succeeded before he gave up his pride and used the sleeping draft his father had thoughtfully supplied him with.

David's nerves returned at full strength as soon as he woke up to find himself alone and remembered why they were sleeping apart. He had been told to stay in his room until he was called for and so dozed fitfully until Ron and Hermione entered about eight o'clock bringing breakfast with them.

"So mate, are you looking forward to tonight?" asked Ron with a wink.

David choked on his toast. "Ron!" Hermione scolded. "You shouldn't ask something like that. Besides," she continued disapprovingly, "they've been sleeping together for months."

"So?" asked Ron. "They were engaged and had an acknowledged bond so they were hardly going to break up. Seventeen year old men need some action," he concluded pointedly.

Hermione glared at Ron and David had the impression this had been discussed before. "I just don't feel right breaking the school rules or abusing my privileges like that," she declared. Hermione looked at David and noticed that he was still having problems eating his toast. She took it for embarrassment and changed the subject.

When they had finished eating they went into the bathroom so that David could bathe to ritually purify himself while Ron and Hermione recited a dialogue about the qualities needed for a successful marriage and the duties he had to his spouse. When this was done David dried himself but did not dress. He returned to his room so that his close family and friends could draw symbols on his body in woad. He was not meant to know what they had drawn and tradition had him standing still and blindfolded while they worked. Nobody had thought that that would be a good idea and so Hermione had worked out a personalised obscuring charm which would allow everyone except him to see his body. She had also obscured the mirrors until he was dressed.

David was very glad that Remus had pushed him beyond his need to have his clothing spelled so that it could not be removed. If he had still been like that he would never have coped with people painting his naked body, even though they were his friends. It was still extremely difficult, not to mention that it tickled. The ordeal was doing nothing for his nerves and he was trembling. Severus, who as his nearest relation had gone first, paused to inquire whether David would find it easier if they stunned him and woke him up when it was done. The idea of people touching his naked body while he was unconscious was far worse so David accepted the second option of a mild calming draft instead. He was able to still his body and Severus continued.

David tried to work out what each person was drawing but found the task impossible, apart from the contribution of the twins of a hand on each of his buttocks; they had drawn around their own to get it right. While he was being painted Hermione attacked his hair with a mixture of brushes, combs and a potion. It appeared that uncontrollable hair was a David characteristic whether adopted or not. The biggest test was when Albus made his contribution, but once that was over both of them felt that their relationship had truly been healed from the damage Draco Malfoy had done. When everyone had finished Hermione produced a camera and took several photographs in order to capture all the images. Her wedding gift was going to be a scrapbook of the day, including photographs, quotations and the inevitable press cuttings.

Since David was a ruling zia his steward, Sirius, was supposed to dress him for his wedding, but they had decided that Sirius's proper place was with Remus and Ron was to act as his proxy. David's wedding robe was a more archaic version of the formal one he wore. They were in the house colours of royal blue with a crimson trim and had David's cat insignia repeated in golden thread around the hem, neck and down both of the front edges. The robe did not join at the front but hung open leaving a four inch gap showing David's golden tunic and loose trousers. He wore high boots which concealed the pair of mismatching socks Dobby had gifted him for the occasion along with many apologies for what he had been force to do. Dobby did not know the extent of the damage his actions had caused and David had no intention of informing him.

Once he was covered Hermione came back briefly from visiting Remus to remove the obscuring charm and take more photographs. She gave David a hug and assured him all would go well before leaving to join the other guests and allowing Ron to help David into his robe. Severus came in a few moments later, dressed in his formal attire as dowager Sire Crimson and sent Ron away to see to his own clothing. Ron briefly hugged David and repeated Hermione's assurances before he left.

Severus also embraced his son before holding him at arms length and looking him up and down. "Trust Weasley to forget your headpiece," he said with a mock Snape sneer. Severus moved across the room to the cupboard where David's usual formal attire was kept and retrieved the crimson circuit. He placed it carefully on David's head and smoothed his curls around it. "The only ring you can wear is your bonding one," he said reaching for David's hand to take the wooden ring he wore.

"I haven't been wearing that for a while," David told him gleefully. "I can now make the ball glow red. I don't need it anymore. I am truly capable of wandless magic; truly a zia. Apart from Remus you're the first to notice, although nobody else knows the significance anyway."


	34. The Completed Bond

The Completed Bond 

At precisely eleven o'clock Severus and David entered the marquee in the grounds of Lions' Den where the ceremony was to take place. Since David had never attended a wizarding wedding he and Remus had walked through the ceremony the day before after they had erected the marquee. Simba and Leon had stood in for the various other participants and had had great fun pretending to be wizards. Walking in to a crowded tent was a bit different but David told himself that after all he had faced in the past this really should be something he could do.

The inside was set up like a theatre hall with an aisle down the centre towards steps that led to the low stage. As David walked down the aisle to take his place on the stage he felt all the eyes in the place turn on him. Keeping his head high and his gaze fixed on the figures waiting on the stage he walked forward as gracefully as he could and hoped he would not trip over his robes. He wondered how much money he could make if he invented an 'anti trip on robes' charm. Or perhaps Fred and George could make more from a 'trip on robes' sweet. David smiled at the thought; he would have to remember to suggest it.

Molly was waiting for him on the stage looking exquisite in her Crimson Matriarch robes. She stood sideways on to the edge of the stage and David stood likewise facing her so that everyone could see both of them. Molly directed David through his declarations and demonstrations. First he had to declare his name and recite his maternal lineage. This was to make the guests in awe of his status but tended to have a hypnotic effect. The list was long since the house dated back nearly a millennium. Although zias had a life expectancy of two centuries few had lived that long given their job of protecting the wizarding community. David was thankful that he had a photographic memory because nearly every generation had a different surname since it was chosen on marriage. Having declared his line David had to prove his position as Lord Crimson by producing the rampant lion from his circuit of office.

The third requirement was a declaration was of intent. A murmur of surprise and disapproval went through the tent when he stated that he was offering his intended spouse a guardianship bond. It was at this point that they expected Umbridge to object if she was going to, but nothing happened. David could see her beady eye watching him but she made no move to speak. She did have a sickly smile in place which worried him.

The last part was to demonstrate the soul-bond. At this point tradition again called for David to be blindfolded and for him to find his soul-mate from among the congregation by following the bond. Sirius and Molly had modified this to having David face away from the congregation while Severus led a group of guests up to stand along the edge of the stage with Remus among them. David was then to indicate which one was Remus before he turned around. Molly had the guests confirm that they had not been told where to stand or had prior knowledge that they would be participating in this way. Given that David could now communicate telepathically with Remus between Lions' Den and Hogwarts he had no trouble indicating which person he was.

Once the guests had returned to their seats Remus declared his acceptance of the bond David was offering him. Then the actual bonding took place. Remus stood on David's left and clasped David's right hand with his left. Molly lifted their joined hands and held them up so that everyone could see.

"We join ourselves together until death separates us," both men declared. "We share one body, one mind, one heart and one soul."

Severus, who had been standing on David's left, moved forward and turned through ninety degrees so that he could tie their joined hands together. "I bless your bond and see you are one," he said as he tied their wrists with a crimson cord. "I give my son to your care and acknowledge Remus as his guardian."

Sirius stood in for Remus's family as he mirrored Severus's actions from his position on Remus's right. "I bless your bond and see you are one," he said tying their wrists with a royal blue cord. "I give my brother to your care."

They all moved around so that they were facing the congregation and Molly declared loudly, "The Crimson House has a new family today. Please welcome David and Remus Owens, the Crimson Lord and the Crimson Sire." There was a smattering of polite applause from the official guests while those who knew the pair cheered loudly and sent sparks into the air with their wands and a nameless pair of red haired twins started chanting 'kiss, kiss, kiss.' The couple obliged them, earning disapproving looks from the more traditional purebloods.

The ceremony over, the guests were directed through to a second room within the marquee where drinks were served while the main room was rearranged for the meal. David and Remus examined their bonding rings to find they now had crimson bands running around each edge to show they were married; identical to the one Severus wore. David and Remus exchanged polite conversation with many people they had never intended to meet while sending less flattering comments to each other telepathically to make the experience more palatable.

Being tied together did not cause a problem at this stage, but when food was served they found it quite difficult to eat with only one hand, particularly David since they were both right handed. At least during the meal they were seated with 'family' i.e. Severus and Sirius and the senior Weasleys so the conversation was better. When David raised Umbridge's behaviour Severus gave his opinion that the toad was unable to do anything about their match and so was exerting some psychological torture while she could; that in fact she had nothing up her sleeve.

The meal had seven courses which David thought was ridiculous given that the guests were supposed to dance later. After they had eaten there was a break for people to relieve themselves before the speeches were given. At this point the newly wedded couple came up against the worst part of being tied together. Bonds are strengthened by proximity and even more so by physical contact so the cords were a symbol of their sponsor's wishes for a strong bond.

All those involved in arranging the ceremony were dreading the speeches; at least the ones insisted on by the Ministry. Since the arrangements had been made while Fudge was still in power he insisted on his right to give the speech he was down for, and of course Scrimgeour wanted to give one as well. Several of Fudge's cronies took the same line and so did Scrimgeour's. This had led to six very boring very political speeches that only those within the cliques of the giver wanted to listen to. David made an effort to take in what was being said, but soon decided that he did not believe half of it anyway so there was no point. It was just propaganda.

This was the point where they found out what Umbridge had in store. She had insisted on making a speech, but the dreaded dissertation against werewolves did not appear. She was actually the least political of the lot. Umbridge talked about the history of the Crimson House and the causes it had supported over the years before reaching the first maternal and hence a non-zia, Godric Gryffindor. Then she described the dispute between Gryffindor and Slytherin and finished off by walking over to David and presenting him with her wedding gift; a locket that had once belonged to Salazar Slytherin. The way she had led up to it showed that she intended the gift as a great insult. She gave it publicly so that David would have no choice but to keep it, the emblem of the enemy of his house.

The toad's smug smile did not falter as she shoved the gift across the table because she failed to notice David's face light up in glee and amusement. He took hold of the gift immediately and then hung it around Sirius's neck and leapt over the table to land beside her, his right arm twisted behind him as Remus's was pulled forward with him. David pulled Umbridge to him with his free hand and kissed her soundly on both cheeks.

"You don't know how much this means to me," he said to her horror. "I've been looking for this heirloom for ages. Grandfather Godric was a great friend of Uncle Salazar's, if you'll forgive me the familiarity for they called themselves brothers. Uncle Salazar even named his pet basilisk 'Godric' in his brother's honour. Their dispute was petty and given time they would have been able to resolve it; just as the relationship between their houses at Hogwarts is improving. Thank you Madam Umbridge, you have given me a chance to publicly resolve a millennium old fight, not to mention the chance to return stolen property to my steward, although I never had you down as a fence before!"

David levitated himself back to his seat leaving a stunned and fuming toad behind him. As the next speech started David caught Albus's eye and nodded to indicate he was certain that the locket Sirius was eyeing warily contained the missing horcrux.

Eventually the speeches David and Remus actually wanted to hear started. Ron went first as David's best friend. It had been difficult for him to compose a speech without mentioning any of Harry's experiences but the result was good, although Hermione's influence was obvious in parts. Ron talked about how because of the danger he was in David had grown up with muggles and not knowing about magic or the position he would inherit. He mentioned that the first time David had seen a chocolate frog he had been worried about eating it thinking it was real. He gave his opinion as Gryffindor Quidditch Captain that David was a natural on a broom and suggested he run away from his responsibilities and sign on with the Cannons because even a loyal fan would like them to win some time.

Sirius was next as Remus's best friend and he was as expected, witty and charming, as well as deeply embarrassing. Sirius was now a registered animagus and so could describe Remus's reaction the first time he saw 'the grim' without mentioning how long ago it actually was. He paid tribute to Remus believing him when he was on the run and called him a true friend and brother. It was Sirius who explained why the pair had chosen the name Owens. He talked about how when they were at Hogwarts they had called themselves the Marauders and how there was a family named 'Owens' who used to maraud for sheep in Wales. Lions' Den was in Wales since it had been Gryffindor's place of origin. Sirius did not mention that the initial reason they had thought of 'Owens' had been because it meant 'warrior' which was what David had been prophesied as since before his birth.

Severus was brief in his turn saying that while he had not had much to do with his son's upbringing due to the need for secrecy, he was proud of the man he had become. He mentioned that after the extremely private ceremony of his own wedding it was good to be part of one that was done properly.

Molly came last, as the president, and she had realised that there would not be much to say left and that most of what she wanted to say could not be revealed. Instead she said she would pay tribute to Albus as a former mentor of both men, gave a few random but interesting sounding words, and resumed her seat.

With the speeches finally over it was late afternoon and the guests moved back into the second room or outside to mingle and conduct business while the room was rearranged for dancing. At this point the family and friends moved back to the house to take some posed photographs. Albus and David also took the opportunity to mark the occasion by destroying the horcrux. Albus was now very experienced at doing so and it was gone without fuss. As they walked back towards the marquee David collapsed suddenly pulling Remus down with him.

David started to scream and Severus hastily cast a silencing charm before he attracted the attention of the official guests. "We'd better get him out of sight," he said levitating David so that Remus could get to his feet. The whole group returned to the house trusting that everyone would assume they were still taking photographs. By the time they got inside Severus was having great difficulty keeping David steady as he was thrashing about. He lowered him to the ground and the telltale scar was immediately visible on his forehead.

"He knows," cursed Sirius. "Why today if he didn't know?"

"It could just be to coincide with this event," said Albus mildly. "Voldemort might not realise, although now that Harry is known to be alive the connection is more obvious."

Remus had his palms pressed against David's temples and was trying to use their bond to pull him out of the vision as he had done before. He succeeded just as Severus returned with some potions. Remus helped David sit up.

"Tremors," he informed Severus without the need for David to speak. "Cruciatus but only one and it can't have been more than half a minute." He shuddered as he spoke at the idea of being held under the curse for a whole thirty seconds; 'only' indeed. Severus held the relative potion under David's nose for his inspection and when he agreed through Remus, Severus helped him drink it.

"What did you see?" asked Albus.

David looked pointedly at Remus who mumbled 'silencing spell' and removed it. "It was just to give us his best wishes for our wedding," said David rolling his eyes. "You'd think he had more important things to do. He's worked out how to force a vision upon me though which is not such a good thing."

"More occlumency?" asked Remus.

"I'm not sure as to the extent that it would actually help," said David doubtfully. "The curse gives him a connection straight into me. I could remove the connection completely, but I'm wary of doing so when it could be useful. It works both ways; I can enter his mind too."

"Does this mean that he will be able to search through your mind for information?"

"Probably," said David dejectedly, but inwardly pleased that they had believed what he had told them about the vision. "I think you'd all best keep me out of the loop until you tell me where to go to finally face him."

"So there'll be an announcement in tomorrow's Prophet about you being Harry?" asked Hermione. "Wouldn't it be best to announce it ourselves so as to take away his leverage."

After a bit of debate there was a grudging ascension to Hermione's idea. Before they returned to their guests David took the opportunity to have a whispered conversation with Hermione and send her to look something up in the library for him. Nobody else knew what this was about, but judging by Hermione's face it was not something she was expecting to be asked to find out. She returned shortly and whispered something back which was obviously good news because David gave her a one armed embrace and thanked her.

Simba was called and the fidelius charm was cancelled. David healed his scar since he disliked the way it had been what everyone recognised him by. As they returned to the marquee, David was busily rewording the speech he and Remus would give just before they left the party; anything to keep his mind off what he would have to do in the early hours of the next morning. At least he consoled himself with the idea that it was now possible for Voldemort to be gone within twenty-four hours; he could finally be free of prophesies.

Back in the marquee the officials were networking and conducting their business and so were a bit annoyed when the wedding party returned and thing had to be put on hold while they ate cake and listened to their speech. The younger people in attendance were pleased since that meant that the time for dancing was getting nearer. The cake was produced, the animated figurine of a lion roaring was removed, Remus and David fed each other a piece and then it was cut up and distributed to everyone while they made their speech.

Those who did not know the couple prepared to mentally tune out most of it but found themselves interested by the subject matter; where exactly the heir to the Crimson House had been for seventeen years had been a closely guarded secret. David did not give the real reason behind his parents hiding him but instead spoke vaguely about a family disagreement and the wish to keep him away from this grandfather, as well as the danger from Voldemort; but the plan had gone wrong. There was a collective shudder at the name of the dark lord but David completely ignored it.

"My godmother and godfather adopted me. They took me as their own child to the extent that my godmother even pretended to be pregnant so that everyone would believe she had given birth to me. The first thing that went wrong was that my maternal, Roger Dragon, died from complications with my birth. Since it was done in secret there were no healers to help and when he realised he was dying he insisted that none were called, he was the first person to die for me."

Some of the guests had worked out where this was leading, but many were unsure; everyone remembered the boy-who-lived for the events on Halloween not his birthday. Neville Longbottom was looking decidedly cheerful. "I knew David's parents," Remus continued. "And I saw a lot of him while he was little; it would appear that I was around him enough for his mother, who was very shrewd, to notice that we probably had a bond."

"The plan went completely awry when Voldemort," another collective shudder, "decided he needed to kill me because of some words that had been overheard that might have been a prophesy. Instead of checking his facts he came after me and killed by adoptive parents to get at me. You all know the story; I survived but two more people died for me."

"Lily Potter left a journal," continued Remus, "enchanted so that only Sirius and one other could read it. Upon her death guardianship of David was supposed to go to Sirius, but due to certain circumstances exacerbated by the actions of the Ministry, Sirius never received the journal and instead ended up in Azkaban. That same journal was used to clear him a few months ago."

"Instead I was left on the doorstep of my godmother's sister," said David distastefully. "I think it was someone's bright idea to keep me away from my fame, which I agree was a good thing, but also to ensure that I grew up appreciating muggles. It backfired spectacularly. Not only did this family not have the journal or even if they had had it, the knowledge to be able to educated me for the position I now hold, but they also had such a great fear of everything magical that I grew up believing my parents had died in a car crash and that the Wizarding World did not exist. It was a bit of a shock to arrive at Hogwarts and find that everyone knew more about me than I did."

"Then I taught David during his third year, while a friend of mine was posing as an escaped mass murderer out for revenge." At this point Sirius stood up and made a bow. "Neither of us recognised the bond, but I think it caused me to be in the right place a few times to get David out of the trouble that seemed to follow him around, starting with the dementors on the train, and ultimately culminating in our confrontation of Sirius that summer. Once I'd resigned and left Hogwarts and we were no longer in close proximity I realised that we had a bond."

"Anyway what followed is now well known; I was kidnapped and then hunted down and given a fixed trial before becoming a dark prisoner." When he said this Fudge's denial that Harry Potter could be a zia was completely destroyed. Fudge realised with growing horror that David could have him executed for his part in what happened. He could not even claim ignorance of him being a zia since it would be easy to imply that the refusal to give Black a trial had been part of an attempt to keep David's heritage from him. With the Ministry implicated in David's grandfather's murder many would believe that. The details about what had happened while Harry was a dark prisoner, so far suppressed, indicated that he had been raped repeatedly. With a shudder Fudge recalled that the ancient Roman statutes called for the crucifixion of anyone involved in the rape of a zia, not to mention the laws around support of paedophilia. He did not know whether that law had been kept. He saw his successor eyeing him hungrily and gulped audibly.

"But the conspirators did not reckon Viddy," David was continuing, "better known to those from Hogwarts as Professor David, who is very close to me. Viddy show yourself and take a bow! Oh it seems he's popped out, probably worked out where I was going with this; he's quite shy. Anyway, with Viddy's help I escaped and learnt of my true parentage. I learnt the skills I need and had the Ministry followed its own laws I would have learnt a long time ago. I met my father for the first time knowing who he was on my last birthday and we agreed to begin our relationship from scratch. Through Viddy I got to know Remus and Sirius, although it was a while before I revealed that I already knew them. Viddy appropriated Lily's journal so that Sirius wouldn't read about me, but these two are a bit too clever my own good and they worked it out."

"It was Sirius who nudged us both towards acknowledging the bond," said Remus as Sirius took another exaggerated bow. "And then along with Tonks and some trusty extendable ears invented by Fred and George and going for what boys?"

"Sixteen sickles," said George.

"Or you can have three for two galleons," added Fred.

"Share them with your friends."

"Only available from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley, London."

"Or our stall just beyond the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmead on selected weekends."

"Which just happen to coincide with when the students are there!"

"If you've finished boys?" inquired Remus cordially. "As I was saying Sirius and Tonks used these 'items' to eavesdrop on the conversation between David and myself and our acknowledgement of the bond. I don't think that my father-in-law was guilt free either."

"I hear he was a right terror at school," agreed David. "All that remains is for us to pay tribute to Sirius and my cousin, Molly Weasley and her family for organising this amazing event. And I should say that as well as being my cousins, Molly and Arthur adopted me over two years ago but were obliviated when they handed the paperwork into the Ministry. You know Remus, I don't know about you but I'm seeing a bit of a trend here of Ministry personnel interfering with my life? Perhaps it's all in my imagination and now that I've thought about it it'll stop."

"You may be right there," said Remus grinning. "Interfering in your life hasn't been a healthy occupation so far. But I believe a toast is in order; to Sirius and Molly!"

The toast was made and the band started up so that David and Remus could start the dancing. They had planned on making a quick getaway once the dance was underway but the unexpected disclosures meant that a lot of people wanted a few words. Since all Remus's colleagues would want to attend there had been a question as to what to do with the students at Hogwarts for the holiday; they couldn't be left in the castle alone, or rather with Filch who had refused to attend. Many staff had visions of returning to find their charges hanging by their ankles in the caretaker's office. The solution had been simple; to invite all the students who remained, but to not announce the fact until after the holidays had started so that nobody took advantage of the offer. Hermione and Ron had carefully 'suggested' that a few of their year make sure to stay. This led to Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnegan and Neville Longbottom now making their way purposefully towards David.

When their congratulations and interrogation were over Neville stayed behind and said quietly, "You never showed any signs of being a zia at school. You weren't particularly powerful, except on certain occasions were your life was in danger; so I think you had magical repression like me. And your grandfather was a metamorphmagus. And you suddenly get engaged to Professor Lupin when everyone knew he was interested in Professor David. And then Malfoy was saying how he knew you'd been spending time with Professor Lupin but it was because you had the same name as your father, but your parents were Severus and Roger so…"

"Don't go there Neville," said David warningly.

"So I'm right? Don't worry I won't tell, although some time I'd love to know how you learnt it all."

"Congratulations Neville," said Remus warmly. "Hermione hasn't worked it out, but we don't think our colleagues or the students would be comfortable with a seventeen year old as a teacher. Suffice to say, David had a lot of luck and a lot of help which has led to him being much older than he appears."

"I learnt about magical repression from Godric Gryffindor," confirmed David. "But I can't really publicise the fact so keeping Professor David separate from myself until I'm older and could have had time to learn these things seems a good idea."

Minerva came over to congratulate the pair and thanked them for finally settling who it was Harry had left his personal belongings to. She had apparently been worried what the recipient had been doing with them but was pleased that David had been able to keep his photographs of his adoptive parents.

"You glossed over it," she said accusingly, "but life with the muggles was really bad wasn't it? I've seen the picture you sent Albus and you're a talented artist. You're also powerfully magical. We never saw any of it so they squashed your talents didn't they?"

David nodded.

"Something that has been bothering me for years," she continued, "the first letter we sent you was addressed to a cupboard, when the second one wasn't I decided it wasn't important but…"

"Until the day that letter came I lived in a cupboard," David confirmed softly. "But given all that happened to me after I rejoined the Wizarding World you could say that my early experiences taught me what I needed to survive."

It was nearly six o'clock when David and Remus finally got away from the marquee and made it back into the house. The party was still in full swing but was now none of their responsibility. Sirius and Molly would ensure that everything went well and everyone left safely. They could not seem to make it to the exit so in the end David apparated them both back to the house.

"When can we take these off?" asked David once they were alone, gesturing at the cords that tied them together.

"They come off when the conditions the binders put on them are met," said Remus looking worried. "Molly was meant to tell you those were."

"Well she didn't," said David flatly. "My betting is that either Sirius or the twins volunteered to pass on the information and then 'forgot.' A simple oversight!"

"We can't go back and ask," said Remus thoughtfully, "but we could ask Simba or Leon to do so."

It was a good idea and Leon returned with a piece of parchment listing the tasks they had to complete. "He's having a laugh!" spluttered Remus as he glanced down the list. "I can understand asking us to kiss, and the thing with the strawberries and cream sounds like fun, but 'use your joined hands to create a convincing frog shadow puppet,' what potion was he on when he wrote that?"

"Let me see," ordered David. "Hmm, I agree about the strawberries, and number seventeen's not bad either, but… well as I see it there is no way either of them could have put all these conditions on the cords, so I reckon they'll come off if we just do the last one. We should probably have supper first though, I'm not that hungry but if you are…"

"After that lunch? With Molly commenting on how both of us needed feeding up? The only thing I actually want is some water, although if Simba can find us some strawberries then we could take them up with us for later."

Simba obligingly retrieved the strawberries, sending them straight to the master bedroom, and congratulated her masters on their wedding.

"I don't think that a reverse fireman's lift was quite what Sirius had in mind when he wrote the instruction for you to carry me over the threshold of our room," complained David as the cords tying their wrists unravelled and fell to the floor.

"I don't think Sirius thought about the practicalities of lifting someone you're tied to like that," returned Remus as he swung David down off his shoulder. "I was quite pleased with my ingenuity for working out how to actually do it. Now I've been wondering all day what monstrosities they covered my skin in…"

The pair undressed each other and then examined themselves in the mirror. "The handprints are courtesy of Gred and Forge but that's all I worked out," said David as Remus regarded his back view. "But it appears yours have been signed, have mine?"

"Ah ha," confirmed Remus tracing a finger up David's back following the contours of a passable image of a hippogriff. "This is Sirius's, on behalf of Buckbeak I think." He rested his chin on David's shoulder and looked at his image in the mirror. "Judging by your father's contributions on our chests it's obvious where you get your artistic talent from. It's a good likeness of Sooty."

"Yes," agreed David spinning around in his arms, "I'd return the complement about Moony but I've only ever caught a brief glimpse of him and I wasn't paying a huge amount of attention to what he looked like."

"I think he had Sirius describe Moony for him. I can hardly comment not knowing what he looks like either."

They spent a while discovering each of their friends contributions and felt they understood why the ancient Picts had felt comfortable to go into battle naked apart from woad designs; the large amounts of blue on their skin made them forget their actual nudity.

"As interesting as these designs are," said David as Remus mapped out the cat on his chest, "I really want to have a bath. Hermione filled my hair with Merlin knows what to keep it in order and I've been wanting to get it back to nature all day."

"At least the pigment should take about a week to come off," said Remus as he reached down and swept David into his arms in a more traditional manner than earlier, and carried him into the bathroom. They spent a few minutes playing volleyball with some of the large purple bubbles that one of the taps had produced before Remus retrieved some shampoo and washed all Hermione's good work out of David's curls. When he had finished David pressed Remus up against the side of the bath and leaned against him his head buried under Remus's chin.

"I can't give you what is traditional," he sent through the bond keeping his face hidden. "Both of us know that, but I do want to mark the occasion for us." He started kissing his way down Remus's chest and disappeared below the waterline. "Will you let me?" he asked as he reached Remus's groin.

As David remained underwater and began, Remus's rational part of his brain became concerned and wondered whether he was drowning. His irrational part told him to stop worrying and enjoy what was going on. His rational part then noted that there were no air bubbles surfacing which suggested David had wandlessly performed the bubble headed charm to allow himself to breathe. His irrational part told him again to stop thinking and just to enjoy the sensations David was producing. His rational mind made a last ditch attempt to remain in control by reminding Remus just how David must have learnt what he was doing. His irrational self finally lost its cool and told his rational self to bugger off and it did so.

When David re-emerged from the water and Remus's rational mind reasserted himself he was hit by the difference in their bond. "It's complete!" he exclaimed. "I know exactly where you are, how you're feeling… It's not just in the background any more. It's a bit overwhelming."

David hurriedly occluded his thoughts before Remus could find out his plans for the early morning; he did not need Remus forbidding him from facing Voldemort or worse insisting on coming along. "Hermione looked up a definition for me earlier," David explained. "I found out last night that the bond would have forced us closer and closer together until it was completed and that could cause problems for Viddy, so consummation was very necessary. This afternoon I had an idea about the definition of consummation and Hermione checked it out for me. Looks like I was right."

"I think that's an O for ingenuity," said Remus grabbing him and lifting him up to sit on the side of the bath. "Now it's my turn." David regarded him oddly. "I can't do wandless bubble headed charms," explained Remus leaning forward and he continued his explanation with actions not words.

When they retired for the night David squashed his guilty feelings to be dealt with later and cast a sleeping charm on Remus while he went down to his potions laboratory and brewed up a strong sleeping potion. The charm would not protect Remus from the strong feelings the bond would broadcast while David faced Voldemort, but the potion should.

Potion in hand David returned to their room. He strengthened his occlumency walls so that Remus could not control him through the bond and cast a silencing charm so that he could not order him out loud either. Then he tied him up, woke him, explained the situation, apologised and forced the potion into him. Remus was obviously angry and David felt the bond exerting pressure on him to stop making him so, but he kept the thought that this was for Remus's own good uppermost in his mind and restrained his spouse further so that he could force him to drink. He held Remus tenderly as the potion began to take effect and his struggles slowed to a stop and checked his health to make sure that he would not have a bad reaction to the potion. David vanished Remus's bonds and meditated for a while to mentally prepare himself for the confrontation ahead as the stimulant he had taken to keep himself awake worked through his body. Then he dressed in his duelling robes and left the room, pausing in the doorway for a long look at the sleeping form of his new spouse.


	35. Final Showdown

Final Showdown

David went down to the floo point and contacted the shadow dragons to apprise them of the situation. As they got ready to help he contacted Albus to tell him the plan but asked him to keep the Order out of it. "We know the Order is likely to have been compromised," explained David. "Even though it was Dobby who provided the polyjuice ingredients, I'm wary of another spy. I can't do this without knowing that those at my back are one hundred percent behind me, and I won't call on Sirius, Severus or the Weasleys after today; they'll be exhausted."

"I believe it likely that the party is still going on," commented Albus. "I left the young people to it not long after your own departure. It is your task and I can't fault your reasoning, but I'll stand by my right to join you since you're taking the other shadow dragons."

It was a taskforce of seven who met a half an hour later in the ancient armoury of Lions' Den. David presented them with a map he had retrieved from his Quirinus Cella that would show the user where they were. "I was playing around with this the other day," he explained, "and I found something interesting." He placed his hand on the map and it produced two separate dots instead of the one they expected. "Voldemort and I are connected," he said. "His failed AK connected our minds and gave me some of his powers, he used my blood to come back the first time, and the blood of my father the second time. I have invaded his mind and he had invaded mine. The map is confused by this and shows both of us."

"So we know where he is," commented Arthur Penn the leader of the shadow dragons. "Do we know who is with him?"

"My last vision showed Bellatrix Lestrange and her sister Narcissa Malfoy, as well as of course the muggle Prime Minister Tony Blair. If we let him assassinate the PM tomorrow as he stated he would the impact on muggle-wizard relations will be disastrous."

"It is a trap," stated Albus, "but you know this."

"Yes," agreed David. "But there are things Old Voldie doesn't know. He doesn't know that he only has one horcrux left. He doesn't know that we know where he is and he thinks we can't do anything until he sends me the vision he promised me of Blair's torture and death which will show us where they are. He wants us to prepare and he wants us to go after him, but he doesn't expect it yet. He now knows that I am Harry Potter, but I don't see how he can know about the amount of training I have done for this exact opportunity."

The debate shifted onto attack plans and a muggle savvy shadow dragon used the computer David had set up in his library and shielded to work despite the magical fields around, to look up satellite photographs of the area on the internet. They used these to work out the terrain they would be dealing with. As their plans progressed the shadow dragons who had been sceptical that this David was the same as the one they had met before began to appreciate how knowledgeable he was. This led to the question of how he had received his training since the former dragonmaster's influence was obvious. David simply said that he had been very lucky.

"Who would have thought that You-Know-Who would hide out in a muggle tourist location?" commented computer operator in disbelief at her findings. "According to the website the castle has been open to visitors for a couple of weeks but there's nothing about anyone noticing something odd."

"I imagine he felt that it would be the last place anyone would look for him," said Arthur. "As you said, who would have thought it? I believe there's still a muggle family living in the castle – their presence could be a complication."

At two in the morning the seven warriors, one for each part Voldemort's soul had been split into, left the wards of Lions' Den and apparated away to St Michael's Mount off the Cornish coast. The antiapparition wards caused them to arrive at Marazion on the mainland rather than the island itself.

"Looks like we're walking on water," announced Arthur. "We forgot to look up the times of the tides, but I reckon high tide either was or will be in a couple of hours from now. The causeway is impassable. It's a good thing we're wizards, or at least magic users," he corrected looking towards the zia. "Where's the lad gone?"

"I imagine he made it through the wards," commented Albus calmly. "He makes a habit of that." He started off down the beach. "Come on, we can't let him have all the fun!"

David had arrived in the castle gardens and found that he was alone. Reckoning that the rest of his taskforce would be joining him shortly he decided to scout out the location of their targets while he waited. He carefully traced the magic of his connection to Voldemort back to its source hoping that he would determine where the dark lord was without his own presence being detected. As far as he could tell he was successful. Voldemort appeared to be sleeping in one of the rooms in the castle. He hoped that Nagini would be close to her master.

As the shadow dragons drew closer to the island the telepathy spell they had performed allowed David to become aware of their presence and he left his hiding place to join them and begin the infiltration of the castle. Many alohomoras and a lot of creeping around later they neared the area of the castle that David had specified. Given the time it was not surprising that their quarry were asleep, and it certainly made things easier. The group rescued the prisoners first and the witch who had used the computer earlier portkeyed away with the St Aubyn family and Tony Blair. To them the whole experience would become nothing more than a bad dream once they had been debriefed.

The group then split up. Albus and David headed towards the room they had identified as Voldemort's and had confirmed that Nagini was with him, and the other four took the rooms that they now knew contained several Death Eaters who had escaped from Azkaban, as well as Narcissa Malfoy.

David went first and silently apparated into his nemesis's room and cast a stunning charm on him before he could notice the intrusion. By the time Albus had received the all clear and entered via the door it was pretty much all over. What remained was to kill Nagini in such a way as to destroy the horcrux. Here their compassion was almost their undoing as David revived the snake to explain what they had to do and apologise for its necessity. Nagini was loyal to the core and as cunning as her master and almost had David convinced that she was harmless enough to grant a final request to die on the beach before Albus broke the hypnotic spell that the parseltongue had over him and they killed the snake.

After what had happened with Nagini Albus flatly refused to allow David to revive Voldemort so that he could be brought to trial as technically he should be since he was already subdued and they were not killing him in active self defence. After his experience with the justice system being bypassed and taking into account his oath to pursue justice David found it very difficult to serve as judge, jury and executioner, even to Voldemort, but he was convinced of the necessity. After a long examination of the dark lord's body and absolute proof that it was him and not an impostor or some poor prisoner who had been disguised as a bluff, David broke his neck with his own hands in a direct fulfilment of the prophesy that 'either will die at the hand of the other' more out of prudence than any real thought that it made a difference. Albus watched carefully both with his eyes and with his magical senses to ensure no revivable spirit remained. With the lengths Voldemort had gone to in order to remain in this world it was not surprising that his ghost remained.

David kept the ghost busy by returning its insults and allowing it to rave at him while Albus thoughtfully sent a message to Zachias Hobbs who was rounding up the Death Eaters. Hobbs had worked for the Spirit Division of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures before Albus had personally recruited him to the shadow dragons. Hobbs was able to supply David telepathically with the knowledge he needed to control the ghost and force it to accompany them back to the Ministry for sending through the veil into the realm of the dead.

The taskforce regrouped at the Ministry where the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had already been notified of their activities by their colleague when she had arrived with the muggles. Amelia Bones, the department head, had turned up herself in her dressing gown to ensure that she did not miss anything. Upon the recognition that the ghost being brought in was that of You-Know-Who she fast tracked the whole process and personally debriefed the task force on their activities while a couple of her assistants recorded the whole meeting for prosperity.

One of the spotty assistants insinuated that David should be arrested because he did not have permission to kill anyone, and even if he had been acting as a shadow dragon he did not follow the correct procedure for dealing with a subdued suspect. Bones immediately quashed this idea in a no-nonsense way and pointed out that it would have been highly irresponsible to invite You-Know-Who to the Ministry for a chat over coffee and cakes.

It was six in the morning by the time everything had been cleared up to Bones's satisfaction. She was very thorough and as she signed the last document she assured David that there was no way anyone could turn his actions against him, and glared at her soon to be ex-assistant who had suggested such a thing. It was suggested that David stay at the Ministry to take part in the press conference but he declined.

"I'm technically on my honeymoon," he pointed out. "And as pleased as I am that Old Voldie is finally gone, I did kind of drug my spouse so that he would not come along on the trip and I need to go and make a contrite apology. I think it will be easier if I'm there when he wakes up rather than leaving him to wonder what's happened."

"If he doesn't immediately forgive you send him to me," Bones told him her eyes glinting. "Not that I approve of you treating him that way, but I can't say I'm sorry that you did."

As David left he heard her say to Albus, "Well now that you've got proof you were right all those years ago your reinstatement as chief warlock should finally go through. Things are better now that the Minister doesn't personally 'oversee' all the trials but we could do with a leader of the Wizengamot who actually knows something about the law. You'd never have allowed that new teacher you've got to get away with saying that full disclosure of his names would leave him in contempt of court and so he couldn't be forced to do so. Though I have to say that defence was quite amusing and young Weasley needed pulling down a few pegs."

Remus awoke slowly at about ten o'clock and found that he was alone. The events of the previous evening came back to him and his initial anger was soon replaced by alarm that David had not returned as he had promised. He had promised that he would be there when Remus awoke, that everything would be over by then. Remus swung his legs carefully over the side of the bed still a bit groggy from the sleeping draft and pulled on his dressing gown before checking that David was not in the bathroom. He was not; nor could Remus work out where he was from the bond. In fact he could not feel anything from the bond, other than that it was still active so David was not dead.

"Simba?" Remus called.

"Sire Remus," said the house elf as she popped into the room. "Oh Sire Remus, Simba is so sorry."

Remus paled and his agitation grew. "What's happened Simba?" he asked urgently.

"Lord David's left sir," said the distraught house elf. "Lord David is upset. He needs his Sire sir but he is leaving and he is forbidding the house elves from looking for him. He is giving Simba this letter for Sire Remus." She held out the letter which was closed with the official Crimson Lord's seal.

Remus took it thinking the decoration oddly formal and started to read. He sank down onto the bed as he did so. No, this could not be happening. The news that Voldemort was gone forever was wonderful but what followed was terrible. 'It has happened again. I told you I could not cope if it happened again. I have to leave. Do not look for me.' The rest of the letter was full of instructions on how to run the affairs of the Crimson House and where to find the equipment and records to help him do so. It was completely formal apart from those few sentences whose brevity was the only indication of the emotions they portrayed.

"At least he appears to still have most of his marbles," thought Remus as he collapsed backwards curled up on the bed trying to contain his own emotional devastation.

"Sire?" asked Simba. "Sire Remus is there anything Simba is doing to help Sire?"

"Sirius," croaked Remus. "Please get Sirius."

THE END (to be continued in the sequel)

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Author's Note 

Thanks everyone for reading so far. Sorry to those of you who had chapter 19 twice instead of a chapter 18 - the problem is now fixed.

This story is the first novel length thing I have written since I was 15 and also my first Harry Potter fanfiction. I have written lots of bits which then got scrapped - for instance Harry was called Romulus initially and was deaged to appear as an eleven year old first year at Hogwarts (no romance in that one). Eleven chapters in I hit on the concept of the zia houses and everything changed. The cut I made that I am least happy with was to this chapter, so I am asking for opionions. Originally it included the conversation with Simba which prompts David's departure. I felt this was giving too much of the sequel away and cut the scene. Without it I feel the ending is a bit too abrupt and leaves the reader feeling a bit dissatisfied.

So your thoughts please - let me know if you want that scene or not. Part of the reason for David's departure is obvious from the first chapter of the sequel - but should it be explained at the end of this story too? I hope to make a decision either way within the week.

Jananda

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13 Dec

Okay, I haven't had many requests for the missing scene and those who have read it agree that while it is nice to know WHY, the story works better without it being explained at this stage - so I'm not going to post the missing piece. But again, if you want it let me know and I'll email it.

JS

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